This Time Around
by BeBraveLive4Me
Summary: What could happen in season 2? Jude's back from tour, Tommy has a revelation, and new relationships are developed. Written by both BeBraveLive4Me and Music88
1. Chapter 1

"_Cause he's frozen,_

_Under an ocean of ice._

_He lets me walk there,_

_Under his moon at night._

_He's frozen,_

_He shields my eyes from the sun._

_The great believer,_

_Doesn't believe anyone._

_His ice age is melting away."_

"And that's a wrap on Tom Quincy's Album 'Frozen Under'," Kwest announced to G Major. He glanced over at Tommy, ready to shake his hand. "I know you haven't been in the game as the artist in a while, but this is a happy moment."

Opening his eyes wide, Tommy shook Kwest's hand. "Sorry man, I just got a little distracted."

Nodding with a smirk, Kwest stated, "I know." He tapped his pen on the table top and rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand. "Man, I produced your entire album, and all you've ever been is distracted."

Running his hands through his hair, he cleared his throat. "I've had things on my mind."

"I know what you've got on your mind, man," Kwest stated with a grin and raised eyebrow.

Tommy spun his chair around to face Kwest. He stared him hard in the eye, but Kwest only gave him a mocking expression. Too tired to fight back, he asked, "All-knowing Kwest, what am I thinking about?"

Throwing his pen onto the table, Kwest leaned in closer to Tommy. "I wouldn't say 'what'. It's more like, 'who'."

He turned his chair back to its original position, avoiding Kwest's eyes. He cleared his throat and muttered, "I guess I should take 'all-knowing' back—."

"Give it up! You think about Ms. Harrison twenty-four hours-- no pun intended --a freaking day. And there's not a day that goes by without you thinking about her." Kwest stood to leave. He looked toward the door to see a crowd of people waiting to congratulate them on the album. He started towards them, but stopped for him. "Lucky for you, I bet she's thinking about Tom Quincy."

A smile broke on Tommy's face. He stood just as Kwest opened the door and let numerous people enter the studio room. He shared hugs with Georgia and a handshake with Darius. Tommy made small talk and said "thank you" to various "congratulations". None of it meant much when the one person he wanted to share the moment with wasn't there.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy caught a glance of long blonde curls. He brought his attention to a smiling Sadie leaning on the doorframe. She fiddled with the heart charm on her necklace, watching him. Tommy made his way through the people, over to her.

Sadie leapt into his arms and whispered in his ear, "Congratulations."

Hugging her tightly, Tommy replied, "Thanks," and placed her back on the ground. "you wanna go get some fresh air with me?"

Nodding, Sadie followed Tommy out the back door. As they walked, she threw in, "Last time I was here, all that excitement was for Jude. Now it's all for you."

Tommy smiled at Sadie as he opened the door for them to exit G Major. They made their way down a flight of stairs into a deserted alley. Tommy couldn't help but be reminded.

_Tommy walked down the stairs towards Jude. It was pouring outside, and Jude was soaked in her delicate silk dress. Tommy unbuttoned his jacket and placed it on Jude's shoulders. "For what it's worth, Shay's a kid and an idiot."_

"_That doesn't mean much, coming from you," Jude stated, avoiding his eyes._

"_What is that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked shocked and slightly offended._

_Jude glanced over her shoulder at him. She could tell he really didn't understand, and he needed to. "I'm so tired of falling for guys that don't fall back. It hurts."_

"_Jude, I—"_

"_You all say the nicest things. I'm so great. I'm so nice. But you must be lying because none of you want to date me. So you want to help me? Tell me what I'm doing wrong. Tell me why I'm so easy to give up and maybe I can fix it."_

"_You are asking the wrong guy." Tommy took Jude into his arms and kissed her passionately. He hadn't kissed a girl like that in a long time, if ever. It was amazing and their connection was undeniable, but he also knew that it was wrong._

"So what are you going to do now?" Sadie asked.

Quickly looking over his shoulder at her, Tommy asked, "What do you mean?"

Sadie shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. After Jude finished her album, she went on tour. Do you think you will?"

Leaning his head back, Tommy looked up into the sky. The weather had been nice lately, but he could feel it getting colder. He breathed in the air, testing it out and thinking about Sadie's question. "Probably not. I'm still a producer, and I promised Jude I'd do her next album." Tommy led Sadie back up the stairs and into G Major. Slowing, they made their way through the back of the room into Studio A.

"Oh," Sadie replied slightly disappointed. She watched Tommy watching the celebrating crowd, distracted as usual. She quickly added, "You know, I'm proud of you, Tom." She announced with a twirl of her hair. You're making a comeback." Sadie pointed out.

Tommy smiled sweetly at her. He replied with a sigh, "Attempting to make a comeback. We don't know anything yet." He scratched his eyebrow with his index finger, nervous about his situation.

Stroking his arm, Sadie playfully stated, "Modest too."


	2. Chapter 2

Sharing a laugh with Sadie, Tommy actually seemed to be enjoying himself. They talked and laughed with such fun that they hardly noticed Georgia joining their group in the corner.

Giving both Sadie and Tommy pats on the shoulder, Georgia commented, "You two seemed to be having fun."

"Well, Kwest said this was supposed to be a happy moment," Tommy replied.

Georgia nodded and added, "Enjoy it. You deserve it, Tom."

"Deserve it?" Tommy questioned, slightly confused.

"You produce hit albums left and right," Georgia started. "It's time you had one of your own."

Tommy smiled at the praise, but looked downwards to hide it. He told Georgia with certainty, "I'm just the producer. I'm just as good as the actual artists."

Georgia patted Tommy on the shoulder again, simply saying, "Sure, Quincy." She turned her attention to Sadie who was focusing on Tommy. She set her hand on Sadie's shoulder and stated, "Little Sis comes home tomorrow."

Nodding, Sadie smiled and replied, "Yeah. She should be in around 6:00, so everyone should probably get to our house by 6:30." You'll be there, right?"

"I'll be there," Georgia confirmed. She glanced back at Tommy and asked, "You going to be there, Mr. Hotshot?"

"Of course," Tommy answered coolly.

Looking behind her, Georgia saw the party dying. She returned to the two and said, "Well, it's late, and I'm tired. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Both Tommy and Sadie smiled at her. Sadie let out a soft, "Bye," as Georgia turned to the doorway.

"She's right," Tommy said, returning his attention to Sadie. "It's getting late. You should probably be on your way home already."

Nodding slightly, Sadie asked, "What about you?"

Tommy slid his hands in his pockets, allowing himself time to think. "I have to finish some things around here…"

Sadie squinted her eyes, trying to read to Tommy. She questioned, "Is this your subtle way of trying to get rid of me?"

"No," Tommy shook his head with a smile. "I remember the last time you were out late for a wrap, and your dad wasn't very happy."

Clearing her throat, Sadie commented, "He also caught us making out."

"True," Tommy stated with a light chuckle. "I just don't want your parents to hate me." He gave Sadie an innocent look that no one had ever refused.

"I'm a big girl, Tom," Sadie stated. "My parents won't hate you for keeping me out late."

Slightly relieved, Tommy replied, "Okay. What do you want to do now?"

Sadie leaned over to grab her jacket off of a chair. As she put it on, she answered, "I'm kinda tired, so I'm gonna head home."

Tommy chuckled and asked, "You're kidding me, right?"

With a bright smile, Sadie replied, "A girl needs her beauty sleep." Giving Tommy a wink, Sadie left the room and left Tommy alone with Kwest once again.

"You going with her?" Kwest asked as he flicked off a few switches.

Leaning back against the wall, Tommy replied, "No, she's going home."

Kwest led Tommy into the G Major lobby, turning off the lights to the studio room. "What about you? Feel the need to party?"

He scratched the back of his head, feeling a little tired. Tommy answered, "I guess I'll head home too."

"Big day tomorrow," Kwest stated simply, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Tommy couldn't help but smirk. He nodded at Kwest and they both started towards the door. They parked next to each other, Tommy's blue Viper, and Kwest's black Mustang.

Opening his door, Tommy heard Kwest call out for him. "6:30 tomorrow?" Kwest questioned.

Nodding, Tommy answered, "Don't be late."

They both sat in their cars and fastened their seatbelts. Kwest pulled out of the parking lot first, with his music blasting in the quiet streets. Tommy could still hear him, even a block or two away.

With the engine running, Tommy sat back in his car. He sighed deeply as "24 Hours" played on the radio. He listened to Jude's voice, remembering…

"_Can I have your autograph?" Tommy asked jokingly as he entered Jude's dressing room._

_Jude approached him, with sheet music in hand. "Hey, umm, I rewrote the lyrics. There's a new hook and everything, so… Yeah." She walked away, obviously not too into the conversation._

"_So you took my advice, huh?"_

"_Yeah," she answered distracted._

_Tommy read over the lyrics, nodding his head in approval. "This… This is really great Jude." Without a response, Tommy could see something was wrong. Her eyes were a little puffy, and she was avoiding him. He took a seat near her. "You know, you should be happy about this."_

_Without a doubt, Jude answered, "I am."_

"_What's going on?" he asked concerned. _

"_It's Jamie." Tears came to Jude's eyes just thinking about him, but she held them in. "He's not coming tonight."_

_With an understanding nod, Tommy said, "For what it's worth, back in the day, I went through he same thing with my best friend."_

"_Really?" Jude questioned, a little relieved. _

"_It's brutal," he confirmed._

"_Yeah."_

_Tommy stood and took a few steps closer to Jude. He looked he looked her deep in the eye and stated, "If you ever need to talk, anytime, about anything, I'm here for you, Okay?" Trying to lighten the mood, Tommy joked, "It's part of the job."_

_In a whisper, Jude confessed, "You know, before I met you, I thought you were going to suck huge."_

_Both Tommy and Jude leaned in closer, close enough together already. Jude shifted from her heels to her toes, inching her mouth closer to Tommy's. In an instant, Jude's lips were pressed against Tommy's and locked together. In the same amount of time, Tommy pulled away and looked at her, shocked._

"_Jude, you're 15," were the only words Tommy could find._

_Shocked and embarrassed by her own behavior, Jude replied, "I'm such an idiot."_

_Peaking her head into the room, EJ called out, "Jude, come on, it's almost time," and moved on. _

"_God!" Jude's tears returned and she couldn't face Tommy. She couldn't let herself look like anymore of an idiot that she had already shown. Instead of making herself look vulnerable, she quickly turned to anger. "How cou— How could I even begin to like someone like you. You're everything I hate about music."_

"_Easy," Tommy said, trying to get Jude to calm down._

_Looking for any reason to hate him, Jude exclaimed, "You made me change my song!"_

"_Don't give me that," Tommy bit back. " Cause your song is a thousand times better since we worked on it. And you know it."_

"_Jude, we need you," a voice called, reminded her she needed to get on stage._

"_Ok," she replied as she flashed Tommy one more look of disgust._

Tommy drove out of the G Major parking lot and over to his house. It was a small house for his amount of fame, but it was more than spacious for Tommy's living. Most of the time, Tommy's place made him feel a little lonely.

Tommy threw his keys onto the kitchen counter and placed the mail next to them. He skimmed through the mail, finding nothing really to his interest and then left it as is. He made his way up the stairs and into his room. After taking off his clothes, he turned down the lights and hopped into bed. Going to sleep, Tommy knew the next day would be a big one.

When morning came, Tommy turned off his stomach and onto his back in bed. He raised his arms over his head and stretched, then turned off his alarm clock before it even went off. He always woke up that way, but today was a touch different. Instead of taking his time and walking to his bathroom sleepily, he went quickly and willingly, instantly awake and ready to start his day. Tommy finished his usual morning routine with brushing his teeth, a shower, and breakfast while checking out the newspaper. Grabbing his keys from the counter where he left them, Tommy made his way to his car and headed for G Major.

Zooming down the street, he suddenly slammed on the breaks as one of the lights had turned red. He started off again, slowly, when a cat made its way onto the street. Tommy inched the Viper closer, trying to force the cat to move. The cat only moved slightly, causing Tommy to brake. It happened repeatedly for a few minutes, Tommy's body jerking around beneath his seat belt. It brought him back to the last time he witnessed such poor driving…

_Tommy approached Kwest in the hallway and pulled him aside. He said excitedly, "Look, when you spin tonight, I want you to start with '24', right, cause it's Jude's favorite."_

"_Yo, yo, whoa. Hold up, hold up." Kwest looked at Tommy, shocked. He spoke quietly, "You let Jude pilot your ride, and I can barely scam shotgun. What are you now? Her party planner?"_

_Tommy grew impatient and stated, "You got something to say? Just say it."_

"_Well you wouldn't be the first producer to cross that line," Kwest answered suggestively._

_Giving Kwest a slightly dirty look, Tommy sighed and walked away. "I'm not even hearing this."_

"_Yo, listen. Listen, man." Kwest caught up with Tommy and stopped him again, just trying to get a straight answer. "You're falling for this girl. Now, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to hit that in another few years…"_

"_Look, that's not even what this is about." Tommy looked Kwest in the eye and realized he couldn't deny it anymore. "Kwest, man, you think I'm okay with this? Huh? That the coolest chick I know, the girl that gets me most, is sixteen?" Tommy shook his head with disapproval and continued, "Give me a break, man. She's out of bounds and I'm not that guy."_

_Understanding the situation, Kwest nodded and replied, "Good…" Kwest was ready to drop the subject but found one more question. "But if she was twenty-one?"_

"_In a split second."_

A little girl with bright red hair in braids ran into the street, catching Tommy's eye. She stood in front of his car with the cat in hand. She smiled sweetly and waved to Tommy, then returned to the driveway she came from.

Tommy drove on, but made sure to wave to her as she passed. He wondered if maybe that's what Jude looked like when she was younger, but that thought quickly faded as he approached G Major. He parked in his regular spot, but the car next to his was different than usual. Even though it was different, he still recognized it.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking into G Major, Tommy saw a familiar face waiting for him. "Hey, Jamie."

"Tommy! Hey!" Jamie stood from his seat and shook Tommy's hand. "It's been awhile."

"Oh yeah," Tommy responded sarcastically. "It's almost been an entire week since the last time you came to check on Jude." Tommy signaled for Jamie to follow him to his office. "We haven't heard from her since that last time I talked to you."

Nodding, Jamie sat down in the seat across from Tommy's desk. "I'm not here to talk about Jude."

Shocked, Tommy looked at Jamie curiously. He said in a skeptical tone, "Really…"

"Well, okay… I kinda lied," Jamie gave in. "It's totally about Jude."

Tommy looked at Jamie with a smirk on his face. It was always about Jude, or they wouldn't even waste their time talking to each other. "So what is it, Jamie?" Tommy asked.

"She's coming back home tonight…" Jamie hesitated, thinking how to put his thoughts and worries into words. He finally blurted out, "What am I supposed to do?"

Chuckling, Tommy exclaimed in a teasing manner, "I thought you were over her!"

Jamie let his head fall into his hands as he shook it. "I am," he said, muffled between his fingers. "I just… I…" Jamie raised his head and scooted to the edge of his seat. "How am I supposed to act around her!"

With ease, Tommy answered, "Like you always do."

Shaking his head in disapproval, Jamie let out a deep sigh. "You don't understand! I changed our entire relationship when I kissed her, and then she changed everything even more when she kissed me back!"

Tommy listened intently. He knew was Jamie was going through because he went through a similar confusing situation…

_Walking into the house, Tommy heard Jude's voice. He followed the sound into the room where he found Jude sitting on the table with her guitar. Deep and sultry, she sang, "Cause it hurts, so bad. So hold me or I might crack."_

_As soon as she stopped, Tommy commented, "That's it. You finished it."_

"_No." Jude tried to keep her tears in, not letting Tommy see her face yet. "I think you did." She set her guitar down and walked away, still trying to avoid him._

_Catching a glance of her tears, Tommy stepped in front of her. "Jude," he called out, but she kept moving. "Just wait!"_

_Biting back, Jude stated, "You know, this isn't even about you, Tommy." She was obviously crying, but she couldn't stop. "You're just another stupid trophy for her!"_

"_I'm nobody's trophy!" Tommy yelled back slightly offended._

_Jude struggled to speak, the emotions getting the best of her. "There's never been one thing that she's ever wanted that she didn't get!"_

_With ease, Tommy stated, "I can think of one thing."_

"_What?"_

"_A sister." Tommy looked Jude in the eyes and tried to reach her through all the drama. "The charts, the money, the fame…" He blew off the words and continued, "It all fades. You gotta take care of what lasts."_

_Both Jude and Tommy stood in silence, calmed by his last words. The tears still fell from Jude's eyes, but she wasn't so much angry anymore. To say the least, Jude was just plain confused. _

_As Jamie and Kat walked into the room, Jamie could see the frustration on Jude's face. He quickly asked, "What's going on?"_

_Leaving Tommy, she replied simply, "We're leaving."_

"A month and a few cities later, she tells me she just wants to be friends!" Jamie continued. "Friends!"

"Then be her friend," Tommy replied simply with a shrug.

Pleading with his hands, Jamie asked, "How!" He breathed deeply and continued, "It's like I'm stuck in a really bad episode of 'Dawson's Creek'."

Cracking a smile, Tommy kept in his laughter. He looked over at the distressed Jamie and knew he was serious. "First of all, stay calm. You're way too young to have a stroke." Tommy scratched his forehead with one finger, trying to think of something deep and meaningful he could leave Jamie. "Second… You were her best friend first and foremost. And-and I know, personally, I'd rather have Jude as just a friend over nothing at all."

Jamie nodded in agreement. He knew that Tommy and Jude had a connection over music, so Tommy's advice came from the heart. Even without Jude, Jamie and Tommy had gotten somewhat closer over the summer. "Like always, thanks Tommy."

"No sweat."

Turning to leave, Jamie reminded Tommy, "6:30."

With a smile and a nod, Tommy said, "I'll be there."

Opening a file on his desk, Tommy skimmed through a few pages. He looked up at the seat that Jamie sat in minutes earlier and gave a chuckle. Tommy and Jamie were actually getting along. It seemed like forever ago when they hated each other…

_Angrily walking down the high school hallway, Tommy spotted Jamie standing near his locker. "Hey, Gollum!" he called out as he pushed Jamie against the locker._

"_It's Gandalf," Jamie bit back._

_With a negative shake of the head, Tommy replied, "Yeah. Like either one is cool." He inched closer to Jamie and looked him dead in the eye. "Jude just blew an interview and ran off. Why?"_

_Jamie's face dropped, guilt taking over. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and spread it out for Tommy to see. It was a flyer explaining the Jude Harrison walkout that was about to happen._

_Tommy took it closer to himself to read. He easily shook is of and said, "Okay. This is bad, but…"_

"_Plus I kinda told her I hated her song." Jamie saw Tommy's rage flare right in front of him, and quickly tried to redeem himself. "I hate her song, not her."_

"_To Jude that's the same thing, man!" Tommy exclaimed. "You may think you know about music, but you know jack when it comes to musicians."_

_With the same passion, Jamie yelled back, "I know Jude!"_

"_Then you know she'd be able to handle this if she thought you had her back!"_

_Realizing Tommy's right, Jamie sighed. He gave in and asked, "What do you want me to do?"_

_Not caring that Jamie felt bad about his part in Jude's breakdown, Tommy said sternly, "Whatever you said, un-say it." He took a deep breath and continued, "And stop messing with my artist's head! We are not having this conversation again. Right?" He waited for Jamie's response, but grew impatient. "Right!"_

"_Right."_

After hearing a knock on the door, Tommy answered with, "Come in," and went back to his papers.

"You should be getting ready for your photo shoot," Georgia said, giving him a weird look.

Tommy glanced over the papers. He noticed Georgia's unusual expression, but ignored it. He went back to his papers and responded, "The shoot is here, Georgia. They're just going to put me in some crazy outfit and make my hair look extra poofy. I think it can wait for me to finish with these papers."

Georgia could help but smile, thinking about Tom Quincy with poofy hair. She stopped when she realized he did it on purpose to stall the shoot. "Tommy! Get out there!"


	4. Chapter 4

Still burying his face in the papers, Tommy tried to both hide and protect himself from Georgia. He didn't want to go to the photo shoot. He didn't want to be in the hands of some random people that would make him look like an idiot. It just reminded him of his days as a member of Boyz Attack and those weren't his best days…

_Leading Tommy into one of the back rooms of G Major, Chaz explained to him, "I say we take it back, just go totally old school. Give them what they've been missing." Chaz walked over to the stereo and started the music. "Five, six, seven, eight…" he counted off as he started dancing._

_Tommy stood in shock. He looked over to the side and saw Jude in a laughing fit. He couldn't take it, so he went over to turn the music off. He made mimicking hand movements and asked, "Why not just air the damn video?"_

"_Okay…" Chaz backed down. "Well, we won't wear the suits, just the bandanas." He looked at Tommy and asked, "We're cool?"_

_With a scoff, Tommy replied, "No, man. We are anything but cool. This ain't 1999, alright?" Tommy looked at the other guys of Boyz Attack and felt sorry for them. "Look, I'm just trying to help you guys not look like losers when you go up there."_

"_No. You're a loser!" Chaz blurted out. "You're a loser for walking out on a good thing. You know what? We were a band before your spotlight-hogging broke us up."_

_With an evil glare on his face, Tommy inched closer to Chaz. "Nothing changes, man. You're still jealous."_

_Fighting back, Chaz yelled, "You're still a Primadonna." He could tell that his words actually got to Tommy, so he decided to push him further. "What's the matter? Little Tommy gonna throw a little tantrum?"_

_With anger taking over, Tommy was ready to snap. Instead, he calmed himself and took a step back. "Know what?" Tommy wiped his hands clean in front of Chaz's face and declared, "This was a bad idea. I'm outta here."_

"_Fine! Go on! Quit… Again! It's the one think that we can count on you for!" Chaz was fuming, but he stayed put and kept his distance. "We're gonna go on without you! And we're wearing the suits!"_

"Then answer me this," Georgia stated in a challenging tone. "What are those papers for?"

Tommy huffed and laid the papers flat on the desk. "They're for…" He paused, realizing he didn't know. He had been looking at them, but was distracted like always. First he had been talking with Jamie, then thinking about their blooming friendship, and then Georgia came. He had no idea what those papers were. He cleared his throat and said, "They're-they're for G Major…"

"You're a horrible liar. Just get out there," Georgia uttered in an annoyed way. She grabbed the papers from his desk and closed the folder they came from.

Standing up glumly, Tommy made his way to the door. He was slow with his head hung low. He made it look as painful as possible because he really had no desire to go. With a sigh, Tommy said, "Goodbye." He reached for the doorknob and started to exit his office.

Quickly, Georgia grabbed a pencil off of Tommy's desk and flung it at him. She had a laugh and stated, "Stop being such a drama queen and get out of here!"

Smiling, Tommy walked out of the office in his natural stride. He walked across the building, greeting coworkers along the way. Almost out of nowhere, Tommy felt someone pull on his arm and he was forced into a makeup chair. He clenched his jaw and took it like a man, but he was reminded how much he really hated being made up. He felt like he was one of Darius' puppets again…

"_Tom," Darius called for him. He caught up and explained, "Look, just so you know, I'm gonna take care of Jude like she's my own."_

_Tommy brushed it off and replied with ease, "Ain't my business anymore."_

_Darius gave Tommy a tired expression. "You walk out on that girl you're making a big mistake." He looked him in the eye and tried to be sincere with Tommy. "Look, the truth? I locked 'Frozen' up cause it was weak. I did you a favor."_

_Giving Tommy a bitter look, he commented with sarcasm, "Remind me to thank you."_

"_Hey now, let me finish," Darius stated. "That album was really bad. But this…" Darius raised Jude's album in his hand, "is the jam." He looked at the CD case he held and looked back up at Tommy. "It's cause of you. You made this. Look, I signed Jude because she's good, but you make her great, man. And vice-versa. You got some beef with your past? Let it go." Taking another chance to catch his thoughts, Darius made sure Tommy was hearing him. "Because you and Jude are the future."_

"We're done here, Mr. Quincy," the hair and makeup stylists announced. "You can head over to wardrobe now."

Tommy nodded and replied sarcastically, "Great." As the makeup artist moved to let him leave, Tommy caught his reflection in the mirror. He exhaled deeply, slightly disgusted. It was almost like he was a completely different person.

Over in the wardrobe area, Tommy bumped into EJ, "Hey."

"Hey there!" EJ exclaimed. She stared at him for a good while and added, "You look great."

Tommy huffed, taking the compliment as more of an insult. "So how are we going to dress me today?" Tommy shuffled through the clothes set out. "Tough guy? Shy and innocent?" He made his way down to a hanger with an entire outfit put together. "Cowboy?"

EJ gave him a tired expression and pulled the cowboy outfit away from him. "Okay, so maybe that one wasn't such a good idea." She put it back on the rack and pointed him to another rack of clothes across the room. "Those were the reject clothes. You get to choose from the stuff over there."

Smiling, Tommy looked across the room to see tons of clothes. He glanced over his shoulder at EJ and said, "You mean I actually get to choose?"

Giving Tommy a nod, EJ stated, "You're a big boy, Tom Quincy." EJ started walking towards the other clothes, leading him over. "I think you're old enough to dress yourself now."

Tommy chuckled and watched EJ pull out a couple of her favorites and put them on top. She gave him a wink as a signal towards them and left the room. He looked over her picks and actually liked a few of the outfits. The only things he had to turn down were the leather pants and bandanas. Tommy grabbed a few outfits he liked and got himself dressed in the first one. He looked at himself in the mirror, still excited by getting to choose his own outfit and thought about what EJ had said about being old enough to dress himself…

_Watching Shay and Jude share a kiss in the studio, Kwest turned over to Tommy and asked, "Did you warn Jude about Shay?"_

_Tommy peered into the studio and watched Jude. He replied, "Jude's a big girl," and turned to face Kwest. With a sigh, he added, "She can handle herself."_

He went back out where a photographer was waiting for him. "Tom Quincy! You look great!" The man exclaimed while fidgeting with the settings on his camera. He adjusted a few different things and then looked up at Tommy again. "Why don't you come right over here and we'll get started."


	5. Chapter 5

Following the photographer, Tommy walked into the G Major Conference room. He had Tommy sit in a large, executive chair at the end of the long table. The photographer stood at the opposite end and got himself set up, as Tommy sat uncomfortably.

The photographer looked at him and could see he wasn't in any shape to be photographed. "Relax. We're trying to go for "Big Shot Producer" not "constipated."

Tommy eased up a bit. He didn't like to look constipated, so he took a deep breath and reclined in the chair. In relaxing, he put his arms on the armrests. He bent one up and rested his head in his hand. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," the photographer replied.

He snapped numerous photos of Tommy. And Tommy pulled off all the looks they tried well. He looked natural at being serious, laidback, dramatic, and everything else they ask of him. After a few pictures, he didn't even mind being photographed. He was especially glad he had a real part in the pictures as far as wardrobe and posing went. Everything was going smoothly, and the time passed quickly.

At 4:45, the photographer announced, "I think we should call it a day."

Tommy nodded and shook his hand. "Thanks."

Returning to the wardrobe area, Tommy changed back into his original outfit. He ran his hands through his hair a few times, trying to shrink it a little. His next stop was to the bathroom where he could wash away all the gunk on his face. Once he could finally see himself again, it was 5:00 and he felt like a million bucks.

Reaching the waiting area of G Major, Tommy bumped into Georgia again. This time, he found her talking kindly with Darius. Noticing Tommy too, Darius gave him a head nod.

Georgia turned around to see who the gesture was to and spotted Tommy. She waved him over and commented, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," Tommy confessed. He could see the excitement grow on Georgia's face, but he couldn't let her win. He wasn't one to just stand by and let people outsmart him. "I thought I'd force myself to have fun so you could be right… For once." Tommy and Darius shared a laugh while Georgia took it.

Darius turned to Georgia and asked, "You let your producers talk to you that way? I know I wouldn't let mine."

"Cut the pay, make them work extra hours and holidays," Georgia said, referring to her workers. "I can take the jokes."

Tommy suddenly straightened his face and gave a shocked expression. Georgia instantly laughed back at Tommy, knowing she had scared him a little. "Hey, we don't joke about having to do actual work."

Laughing again, Darius let out a heinous chuckle. It wasn't really that bad, except it always reminded Tommy of something slightly evil. "You're funny, Quincy. Real funny," Darius admitted.

Georgia rolled her eyes at the boys and placed her hand on Darius' shoulder. "Please, Darius, don't feed his ego." Georgia looked at Tommy who had a giant smirk on his face. "He has a hard enough time getting over himself already."

Tommy gave a look to Georgia and muttered, "Very funny."

Tommy was definitely more modest now than he ever was when he was in Boyz Attack, but everyone still liked to poke fun at his ego now and then. It was one of the easiest ways most people knew to push his buttons. But not all people used that trick on purpose…

_Catching her before she closed the door to her dressing room, Tommy admitted, "That was an incredible song, Jude. Not exactly how I meant to inspire you, but…"_

"_What do you want, Tommy?" Jude asked impatiently. _

_Tommy swallowed hard and replied, "To apologize. For real this time." Tommy looked deeply into Jude's eyes, making sure she knew he meant it. "Hurting you was the last thing I ever wanted to do."_

"_A lot of people have been saying that lately." Jude knew he was being sincere, but didn't care much for it. "Get over yourself. Not everything's about you."_

"I don't think your ego's that big man," Darius said in a sincere voice. He raised his hand and patted Tommy's head, "It's just the right size for you hair!"

Tommy smiled and questioned, "You're a funny guy too, huh?"

Georgia laughed and smoothed down Tommy's hair. "It's not so much Darius as much as it is your hair."

Nodding with a smile, Tommy took the insults like a man. It wasn't completely his fault that he looked like that. "I think it's time to control the cat on my head," Tommy said to excuse himself.

"Well, I better get a move on too," Darius acknowledged. "I gotta pick up Shay Shay before Jude's party."

Tommy was already on his way to the bathroom, but quickly turned back to Darius. "Shay's coming to Jude's party?"

"That's what I said." Darius reached in his pocket and took out his keys. "Jude and Shay left on good terms. Plus, I'm managing both of them and I think it'd be a good idea for them to start getting along."

"Getting along…" Tommy scoffed at the idea. He hated Shay for what he did to Jude almost as Jude hated Shay. Or at least, how much Tommy thought Jude hated Shay. He was the last one to know about the tour, so he couldn't missed out on a lot more than that. Tommy uttered, "The guy broke her heart, and now you're forcing them to get along because you're their manager?" Tommy waited for an answer, but couldn't help but think about how he disliked Shay and Jude together from the very beginning…

"_So…" Shay started with a warm smile for Jude. "What'd you think? I wrote it for you, girl."_

_Jude looked at him strangely, not knowing if he was serious. "To be honest, I'm confused." She realized he did mean it and continued, "I thought you wanted me to apologize."_

_With a little curiosity, Shay asked, "Why? I ain't mad. You told me the truth, which I never get to hear." At the sight of Jude's smile, Shay moved a little closer. "So about that date… I know a great after hours place we can go and just chill."_

"_Yes!" EJ exclaimed excitedly. "Go! Have fun! You two look great together."_

_Looking concerned, Jamie interrupted, "Uh, Jude? I thought we were gonna grab a burger."_

"_No," Tommy declared boldly. "It's late. Go home."_

"_Okay." Jude turned back around to Shay and said, "Thanks for the song."_

_Shay nodded to her and replied, "No problem. Anytime."_

With a disagreeing shake of the head, Darius got closer to Tommy, in his face. "Sounds like you're telling me what to do, Tom."

Fearless, Tommy replied in a mocking manner, "Oh, no. I'd never do that."

"Boys!" Georgia interrupted. "Now, none of us want to be late for Jude's surprise welcome back party, right?"

Both Darius and Tommy backed down, knowing it wouldn't be right to ruin Jude's party. So, Darius took off towards the exit with the keys in hand, and Tommy headed towards the bathroom. Georgia simply stood in equal distance from the two as they went their separate ways and watched them go.

In the bathroom, Tommy splashed some water in his hair and ran his fingers through his mane. There was so much hairspray and product in his hair that it took a few times just to be able to comb through his hair with his fingers. He was in such a hurry and panic with his hair, he hardly even noticed the fact that he didn't close the bathroom door completely.

Even with the door partially open, Georgia knocked as she peered in. "You got a little feisty out there with Darius."

Not bothering to turn around, Tommy continued to fix his hair. He responded, "He deserved it, Georgia. Do you even remember?"

"I remember everything," Georgia replied with ease. "Not to mention I see and know everything."

"Then why didn't that make you mad?" Tommy questioned, finally turning his body around.

Georgia took a step into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe. "Darius was being nice out there, Tommy. Sure he has some character flaws, like that laugh," She pointed out with a chuckle. "but he hasn't done anything to purposely hurt Jude."

Tommy turned back around to the mirror, a little bitter that Georgia wasn't agreeing. "Maybe, but Shay has."

"Shay, Tommy." Georgia emphasized the rappers name as she walked over to Tommy's side and looked at her reflection as well. "Shay and Darius aren't the same person."

"Well, then I hate Shay," He said without a problem, shrugging his shoulders simultaneously.

Georgia avoided Tommy's eyes in the same way he avoided her. She simply stood in front of the mirror and fixed her hair and makeup. "Hate's a strong word, Tom."

"Shay treated Jude liked crap," Tommy finally blurted out. "No guy should ever treat a girl like that." Tommy had numerous reasons to hate Shay. Throughout his relationship with Jude, he only caused Jude problem after problem and left Tommy to pick up the pieces. He distinctly remembered Shay causing her more pain than anything else the whole time they dated…

_Tommy approached an upset Jude sitting off to the side of the set. "You're setting up for the big kiss, huh?" He could tell she wasn't in the best of spirits and asked, "Wanna talk about it?"_

"_No." Jude looked at Tommy and reiterated, "With you? I don't wanna yak as is."_

"_Sorry," Tommy replied coolly without the intentions of truly apologizing. "I'm all you got right now."_

_Jude knew it was the truth and lowered her voice. "How do you kiss someone who's just dumped you?" She could see Tommy wasn't expecting that kind of question, but it's what he got. "I don't think I can handle it."_

"_The way I saw you stand up to Darius…" Tommy started. "I think you can handle anything."_

_Jude felt the truth in that statement, but it wasn't enough. The fact that she need to kiss Shay wasn't the only thing that worried her. "Okay," she hesitated. "Well, what if, hypothetically, this is my first real kiss." She remembered all of her previous experiences, including Tommy and felt like she needed to clarify herself. "With someone who's, uh… Who's kissing me back. I just… I want it to count, you know?"_

"_Then hypothetically," Tommy began to answer, "it will. But this won't be it." He made sure he was connected to Jude by gazing deep in her eyes. "Look, Jude, a real kiss isn't in the lips. It's in the heart. And if yours isn't in this one with Shay, then it doesn't count."_

_A little relieved, Jude sighed, "Thanks, Tommy."_

"You mean, no guy should treat your girl like that," Georgia stated. Her eyes flashed over to him in reflection before she turned and walked away.

Checking his hair over one more time, Tommy rushed out of the bathroom to follow Georgia. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Throwing her head backwards, Georgia chuckled. "Are you kidding me? I think you know what it means."

"Nope. You got me puzzled." Tommy took a few quick steps in front of Georgia and stopped, making her freeze in her tracks. "Explain."

Georgia put a hand on his chest and patted, "So young, so naïve." Georgia took a deep breath and continued, "This is probably the happiest day you've had in two months. Coincidently the same amount of time Jude's been gone. Or maybe not so coincidently." Taking a step to the side, Georgia resumed walking.

Tommy took a few quick, large steps to catch up with Georgia. He kept at her pace with his voice quiet. "What? Do you think I'm into Jude or something?"

"Think?" Georgia repeated. "Boy, I know."

"Georgia, I'm excited for her to come back because we're friends," Tommy said while heading out the G Major doors. "I've missed working with her."

At her car, Georgia stopped to get her keys out of her purse. As she looked into her purse, she asked, "And that's it? Nothing more?"

Nodding his head, Tommy let out a soft, but strong "Yeah."

Releasing her bag, Georgia let it hang off of her shoulder. She moved in on Tommy, stopping no less than an inch away from him face. "Are you sure?"

"Damn it, Georgia!" Tommy exclaimed as he backed away from her. She had been onto him about Jude for the longest time, and he couldn't hide it anymore. It was like a G Major conspiracy by now, but Tommy still couldn't let himself admit it. He wasn't going to be that guy. "So maybe I care about her more than a producer should. Why does it matter? It's not like I can do anything about it." He admitted truthfully.

"You can't do anything about it?" Georgia questioned skeptically. "You could do something about it and get the girl, Tom."

Tommy lowered his head in disappointment. "It's not that simple," he sighed as he started over towards his Viper.

"Don't do that, Tom," Georgia called after him. "It could be that easy if you let it be. Put your feelings out there and tell her how you feel. I'll be damned if she doesn't feel the same way."

Tommy clenched his jaw. He knew Jude felt the same way he did after all they'd been through, and it hurt not to be able to act on it. "It's not Jude I'm worried about. It's everyone else."

"What does—" Georgia started to ask, but realized the reason. "Oh."

"Yeah," Tommy said glumly as he opened his car door. "And I'll deny it if you ask again."


	6. Chapter 6

Tommy sat in the driver's seat and closed the door. He looked out the window to see Georgia still standing there in awe. He was about to open the window, but Georgia waved and walked back to her car. Tommy felt bad for the way he just left Georgia and even worse about his entire situation with Jude. It wasn't one of his favorite subjects when it came to the reality that they couldn't be together. They've denied their attraction and feelings from the very start….

_Looking into Jude's pained eyes, Tommy felt partially responsible. He knew that there was a reason to "Look, working on a song… It's like falling in love. At first, it's a rush, but then it gets painful and sometimes you gotta walk away. But sometimes you come out with something beautiful, like that song. I mean, change can be good, Jude. You want proof?" Tommy took out a CD labeled "Jude Harrison Vinyl Palace" and handed it to her. "Don't quit. Cause you're it, girl. You're the real thing." He turned away to leave, but returned to add, "You're even better."_

Turning the key in the ignition, Tommy started the car and headed towards Jude's house. He reached towards the radio and turned it on, noting that the clock read, "6:10" so he'd be a few minutes early when he reached the Harrison house. He figured he could always help set up or hang out with Sadie.

_**Don't you wanna go for a ride**_

_**Just keep your hands inside**_

_**Make the most outta life**_

_**Now don't you take it for granted.**_

Over the summer, his friendship with Jamie wasn't the only one to develop. He also became pretty good friends with Sadie after realizing they should stay just friends. At first, she took the news like any girl would, but when she realized why, she simply understood. Sadie and Tommy bonded ever since, and came to be what they are today.

_**Life is like a mean machine**_

_**It made a mess outta me**_

_**It left me caught between**_

_**Like an angry dream I was stranded.**_

Approaching the house, Tommy drove just a little further and parked in Jamie's driveway. He was instructed to park there earlier, and to cover the car so Jude wouldn't suspect anything. Other people were told to park down the street or elsewhere, but Tommy got the special treatment. Leaving his car, Tommy made his way over to the Harrison house and rang the bell.

_**And I'm steady but I'm starting to shake**_

_**And I don't know how much more I can take.**_

"Hey, Tommy!" Victoria Harrison squealed in her customary perkiness.

Tommy stepped into the house and replied, "Hi, Victoria."

Closing the door behind him, Victoria started towards the kitchen. She told Tommy, "Everyone's in here," as they made their way down the hallway.

In the kitchen stood Victoria, Sadie, Jamie, Kat, and now Tommy. They were all busy at work, laying food out on platters and such. To put himself to work, Tommy asked, "What can I help with?"

"Over here," Sadie called out. As Tommy approached Sadie sitting at the counter, she hopped off her bench. She handed him a platter of sliced fruit and she took the other. "Help me bring these outside." Tommy followed Sadie back out to the living room and they both placed their fruit on the long table, obviously set for the food.

After the platter was off his hands, Tommy took a minute to look around the room. It was decked out with streamers and cut-out stars. Music streamed out of the stereo and Tommy smiled at the giant banner that read "Welcome Back Jude!" and dozens of balloons tied anywhere possible. He looked over at Sadie and commented, "You guys really went all out for this."

_**This is it now**_

_**Everybody get down**_

_**This is all I can take**_

_**This is how a heart breaks**_

Sadie laughed and looked around. "Mom got excited. What can I say?"

"It is pretty exciting," Tommy admitted.

Giving him a suspicious eye, Sadie questioned, "Especially exciting for you, huh?"

Tommy turned around and gave Sadie a look. He had trusted her with that fact he had feelings for Jude. Sadie knew better than to say something like that with all the people around, even if they were in a separate room. "Hey, we probably don't need your parents to be hearing this."

_**You take a hit now**_

_**You're feeling break down**_

_**Make you stay wide awake**_

_**This is how a heart breaks**_

"For one, they're in the kitchen. Second, they're old and have really bad hearing. Third, they wouldn't care," Sadie explained.

He looked over at Sadie intriguingly. He understood her first and second points, but the third one. "What do you mean they wouldn't care?"

_**Don't you wanna go for a ride**_

_**Down to the other side**_

_**Feels so good you could cry**_

_**Now won't you do what I told you**_

Sadie knew he would get a kick out of that statement. She hadn't told him yet, but she talked to her parents about Tommy and Jude as a couple. It didn't start out that way, but when she said it aloud, they didn't have many complaints. "My parents don't care if you want to date Jude. Well, I mean, they would care, but they wouldn't have a problem with it. They know you guys have this huge connection over music and stuff. And they said themselves, they trust you because they've seen how much you care about her."

"You talked to your parents about us?" Tommy asked, shocked.

_**I remember when you used to be shy**_

_**Yeah, once we were so fine**_

_**You and I why you gotta make it so hard on me?**_

Nodding a yes, Sadie looked at him innocently. "We were talking about a lot of stuff hypothetically, and I thought it was the perfect time. And let me tell you, it was."

Tommy thought about the detail that her parents wouldn't care if he dated Jude. Maybe if the Harrisons could see how much he cared about her and how right they were for each other, then just maybe, everyone else could too. It wouldn't be so much of a scandal as a perfect match.

"You're gonna make a move, aren't you?" Sadie asked, clinched to his arm. She was excited for her friend and her sister to finally have a bit of happiness for themselves.

Clearing her throat, Tommy tried to hide his smiled, but failed to do so. Before Sadie could say anything more, he said a simple, "Maybe."

_**I'm sorry but it's not a mistake,**_

_**And I'm running but you're getting away**_

Sadie clapped her hands together in excitement, but suddenly stopped when she saw Darius and Shay walk into the living room, followed by a few others and Georgia and Kwest. These guests decided to park behind the Harrison house and go through their backdoor instead.

At the sight of the people, Sadie left Tommy's arm and started to greet them. Tommy stayed behind and joined Kat and Jamie, though he wasn't completely there. All Tommy could think about was Jude, like Kwest already pointed out. He couldn't wait to see her again when all he could think about was the last time he did…

"_These last few weeks, I let myself fall for you again. I thought you were falling back," Jude whispered as tears formed in her eyes. Even she, she stood tall and asked Tommy, "Do you care about her? More than me?"_

_Tommy looked at her, pained. "Jude, you can't ask me that."_

"_I'm asking…" She looked up into his eyes, awaiting an answer. His silence was interrupted when Jude was called to the stage. She started to go, but she stayed for a few more words. " What do you want? Can you make up your mind?"_

"Stuart called and they're on their way!" Victoria Harrison squealed to all the guests.

_**This is it now.**_

Tommy was suddenly nervous and straightened out his clothes. He started to run his fingers through his hair, but they got stuck. He quickly reversed his hand motion and set himself free. It wasn't usually like Tommy to get to jittery, but it was Jude.

The headlights flashed through the curtains in the living room and Sadie yelled, "Everyone hide!" as she hit the floor behind the couch.

_**Everybody get down.**_

_**This is all I can take.**_

_**This is how a heart breaks.**_

Getting behind the couch with Sadie, Tommy breathed deeply. He couldn't wait to see her again. He wondered if she missed him or if she thought about him while she was gone. He wanted to know if she looked the same or if she still liked the same food as before she left. Tommy wanted to know everything about her.

The doorknob turned, an obvious sound to everyone as they hid in silence. Everyone waited for the signal in excitement, and Tommy was just trying to get a grip on himself. They heard Stuart Harrison's voice say "Welcome home, Jude."

"Surprise!" everyone exclaimed as they popped up from their hiding places.

Tommy was breathless as he saw Jude. Her hair was bright, bold, and red, just as he remembered. She had on a brilliant smile that he missed more than anything. And her eyes spoke to him from across the room.

_**You take a hit now**_

_**You're feeling breakdown**_

_**Make you stay wide awake**_

His vision of beauty was broken when he heard a voice whispered next to him in anger, "Spiederman…"

Tommy had failed to see that attached to Jude was Spiederman. His hands were wrapped around her waist and they were way to close for comfort. Tommy still felt breathless, but not in a good way anymore. His jaw had fell open slightly as he just stood there staring, like a moron.

_**This is how a heart breaks.**_


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey!" Jude exclaimed excitedly as everyone stood there, staring. Her mother was the first to step forward and open her arms for Jude.

She disentangled herself from Spiederman and plopped her bags on the floor with a resounding thud. Jude went towards Victoria and hugged her tightly. "Mom, I missed you so much," Jude murmured into her mother's blonde hair.

"Me too," she responded as she felt her throat tingle with sentiment.

Victoria pulled away before her emotions rose out and held Jude at arm's lengths. "Let me get a good look at you," she said with a watery smile. "Seem to be in one piece," she kidded as she smoothed Jude's hair.

Before she could reply, she was bombarded by Kat and Sadie on either side. They warmly greeted Jude with a hug and a squeal as Kwest and Georgia came to join.

Tommy stepped back in the midst of things and surveyed the changed of events. He watched everyone but Jamie and himself go to her. His eyes took turns between Jude and Spiederman who stood off to the side slightly. What was Jude doing with him? The way he had his hands on Jude when they walked in wasn't lost on Tommy. He looked over at Jamie's shocked face and figured it wasn't lost on him either.

"Hey Shay." Jude tried to keep the surprise out of her voice. She hadn't expected that he'd be here.

"'Sup, Shorty." His smooth voice filled the room. "How was the tour?" His one question held more than that as he stole a glance at Spiederman. "Wish you still took me up on my offer?" He smiled slyly.

Jude couldn't help but laugh at Shay's arrogance. "Nice to know some things don't change." She walked over to Shay and gave him a platonic hug. "It's good to see you, Shay," she told him truthfully.

Darius grinned like a Cheshire cat as he looped his arms around Shay and Jude. "Look at this. The future of the music industry getting along so well."

Jude flashed a smile and rolled her eyes as she squeezed her way out of Darius' grasp. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for the two people she had yet to say hi to. And if she was completely honest with herself the two people she was most nervous to say hi to.

Her eyes fell on him first. She looked up him and down, noting that he hadn't transformed to anything she was afraid of.

"Jamie." She said his name with some trepidation as she stuck her hands in her pockets, not knowing what to do with them.

His hands nervously rearranged his glasses before he set them back in place. "Jude." He let her name hang in the silence as he pondered his next move. "Jude!" he repeated as his face broke out in a huge grin.

She met his grin with one of her own as she visibly sighed. She launched herself into his arms as she squeezed her best friend as tight as she could. "Oh, Jamie. I missed you so much," she revealed as she held onto him.

"Yeah, me too Jude," he murmured. "Me too." Maybe he should have been tougher, maybe he should have acted differently, but he couldn't. Once he saw Jude all the preconceived notions, all the uncertainty seemed to fade.

She gave him another smile as she pulled away from him. She looked beyond Jamie for the only person she had yet to see.

Her eyes twinkled as she beamed at him. She quickly closed the distance between the two of them, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you, Quincy," she stood up on her toes and whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes as he reveled in the moment. He missed her too. More than she probably knew.

Tommy cleared his throat and created a little space between the two of them. "It's good to have you back, girl." He smiled at her.

"It's good to be home," she admitted as she scanned the room and was truly happy to be there. Her eyes met Spiederman and she mentally slapped herself. "Oh!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to him. She hooked her arm through his and shuffled him forward. "You all know Spiederman…" she said with a grin as she tightened her grasp on him.

People scattered among the house while Kat, Tommy, Sadie, Jamie, and Kwest were in the living room where Jude sat on the couch with Spiederman next to her. His arm was causally draped around her shoulders as she animatedly told tour stories. Spiederman interjected when Jude looked to him for it.

"So tell us, Jude: What was it like to be on stage night after night?" Sadie asked, wanting to know.

"It was amazing," she breathed out the words. "We played in some of the greatest little venues." She unconsciously placed a hand on Spiederman's thigh as she continued. "It was like being on this perpetual," she paused and looked at him as if she would find the answer in his eyes, "high," she finished. Spiederman nodded his head in affirmation and gave Jude a lopsided grin.

Jamie stood with crossed arms as he silently fumed. This was the thanks he got from Spiederman after he landed his band a gig with Jude? He went and hooked up with her? How dare he? The more Jude talked, the more Jamie became angry. He bore holes into him, thinking of a 101 ways to kill Spiederman with his own damn guitar.

Tommy was having his own inner turmoil as he watched and dissected every move Jude made. To say he was thrown for a loop when he saw Jude walk in on the arm of one of her band members was a gross understatement.

Yet Jude seemed utterly oblivious to Jamie and Tommy.

"So you and Spiederman, huh?" Kat cut to the chase as she slanted forward and propped her elbows on her knees.

"Kat!" Sadie yelled, shocked at the bluntness question.

Tommy quickly leaned up from his post on the doorway, intrigued by Kat's question.

Kat looked around and shrugged her shoulders. "What? Like you weren't all thinking about it either." She ignored everyone else and focused her attention to the topic at hand. "So, come on. Details," she smirked.

Jude laughed softly as Spiederman shook his head causing his blonde hair to sway. Jude shifted a bit, slightly uncomfortable. "Well, I guess somewhere between Montreal and Quebec, we realized we had more in common than just music." She looked at him and beamed.

"What can I say? She couldn't resist me." Spiederman flashed a grin as his eyes intently stared at Jude.

"Babe, I could never resist you." Jude's hand traveled up Spiederman's chest before she proceeded to pounce on him.

"Oh yeah," Spiederman said as his hands ran up and down Jude's body. "You're so hot, baby."

"No you are," she breathed out before she smashed her lips on Spiederman and wrapped her arms around him letting them roam everywhere. "Oh, Spiederman ! Spiedy ! Spiedy ! Jamie! Jamie?"

"Jamie?" Jude puzzled voice finally broke through the haze. She gave him a funny look when he ignored the question she asked him a few seconds ago.

Jamie shook his head seeing that Jude was still sitting on the couch with Spiederman's arm around her from before. He rubbed his eyes gingerly, realizing it was a hallucination.

"Jamie?" Jude repeated slowly. "Is everything okay?" All eyes in the room turned to him, waiting to see his move.

Jamie scoffed loudly. "Is everything okay?" he reiterated. "Is everything okay?" Jamie let out a nervous laugh. "No, Jude. Everything is _not_ okay!" He turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, not able to handle a confrontation right now.

Jude sat there, stunned. She realized that Jamie really was hurting over what happened between the two of them. She numbly wondered if it was a bad idea bringing Spiederman here.

Tommy shook his head and almost felt embarrassed for the kid. Almost. He threw a glance at Jude before he quietly snuck out of the living room without anyone noticing.

Kat shot Jude a sympathetic look. She felt bad for bringing up the topic, not knowing how bad Jamie was going to react to it.

Jude bit her lip. "Maybe I should go talk to him" she murmured as she placed her palms on the couch to lift herself up.

"Just give him some time by himself," Sadie interjected, noticing that Tommy had left the room after Jamie. "He'll be fine."

Jude slowly nodded her head in agreement, though she wasn't convinced.

Tommy strolled out of the back door, letting it slam against its frame. He leaned against the wall, taking out his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He precisely opened the carton and shook one loose. He placed it between his lips as he clicked the lighter on causing the end to smolder. He breathed deeply from it, and then exhaled slowly causing a translucent swirl of smoke to surround him.

"Rough night?" Tommy questioned out loud as he tapped his cigarette lightly, causing ashes to fall to the ground.

Jamie stepped out from the darkness and began to pace the length of the concrete floor. "What is she doing with _him_?" Jamie's outrage radiated off him as he spoke. "I mean, is it just me, or is this totally outta nowhere?" Jamie stopped his rapid movement and snapped his head to the side to look to Tommy for an answer. As Tommy was about to reply, Jamie whipped his face around again and continued his hurried pacing. Jamie's palms fisted and relaxed and fisted again. "Ugh and they're never gonna work, you know that right? He's gonna break her heart and than I'll be good old reliable Jamie once again!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands up in exasperation. "And did you see the way their hands were all over each other? I really could have done without that!" he said with a sardonic laugh.

Tommy watched Jamie's heated diatribe and began to shake his head in judgment. 'Boy was this kid jealous,' Tommy silently concluded with a smirk. 'But he definitely has a point,' another voice spoke in his head. This really _was_ unexpected. 'And this kid will probably end up being another Shay,' Tommy thought bitterly.

As he continued to watch Jamie muttering incoherent thoughts about Jude and what he wanted to do to Spiederman, Tommy came to a horrifying, disturbing understanding.

He _was_ Jamie.

Minus the whole geek factor, the pathetic car Jamie drove, the zero style and cool he possessed, and the nervous energy he always seem to have, Tommy and Jamie both seem to be in the same boat.

Tommy almost could have laughed out loud at this realization if it wasn't so unsettling. If it wasn't so _true_. If he could be completely honest with himself, Tommy was as jealous as Jamie. He was just better equipped at handling and hiding it. Tommy groaned loudly as he buried his head in his hands, not ever enjoying being on the same page as Jamie.

Jamie turned to face Tommy when he had heard him mumble. "What?"


	8. Chapter 8

He glanced up at Jamie as he rubbed his chin. "It's nothing." He said before he dropped his cigarette and squashed it out. "I, uh, I think I'll head back in." He said quickly, not being able to handle the situation that had suddenly occurred. Jamie gave him a funny look before he turned his back on Tommy and just stared ahead. He walked back towards the back door and was about push the door in when somebody beat him to it.

"Excuse me," Spiederman muttered as he walked past Tommy towards Jamie.

Tommy let him by, but didn't go inside. He instead turned his head slightly.

"Hey man," Spiederman said tentatively to Jamie.

Jamie spun around so fast that it made a slight 'whoosh' sound. "You," Jamie bit out the word vehemently. Before he had a chance to answer, Jamie pulled back his arm and launched it towards Spiederman's face.

"Whoa!" Tommy exclaimed as Jamie's fist made contact with Spiederman's face. Tommy ran over to the scene as Spiederman spun around from the hit. He made his way between the two, arms on their chests to stop them from pouncing on one another, which both of them were trying their hardest to do. "Stop!" he yelled, his best efforts to calm the two down.

Both Spiederman and Jamie put their arms down, ready to surrender in the battle. Tommy let his arms down too, seeing that the boys had eased.

"It's been awhile," Jude said nervously, flashing looks between the guests and the door. "I think I should go check on Jamie."

Kat raised a hand, trying to remind Jude to give the boy some time, but Jude ignored it.

A fake out, Jamie leaped towards Spiederman, wanting him to take a few more hits. Tommy pushed Jamie back in his arms, taking a few of the swings himself. "Jamie! Cool it!" he yelled. Tommy tried his best to keep the boy off of Spiederman, even though he deserved a few punches, but he was repeatedly forced backwards.

Spiederman laughed as he backed up, away from Tommy and Jamie.

Jamie only grew angrier with the chuckles, feeling like he was being taunted. "I'll get to you sooner or later, Spiederman!"

Standing in the doorframe, shocked, Jude asked, "What the hell is going on here?"

Like a coward, Spiederman rushed over to Jude and stood behind her. He acted innocently, even though he seemed to be enjoying Jamie's pain when he was laughing at the situation. "He just started swinging."

"Jamie!" Jude yelled with an angry fleck in her eyes. "What's your problem?"

Under his breath, Jamie muttered, "You gotta be kidding me."

Jude took a few steps closer to Jamie and Tommy backed away. He didn't want to be any part of this. Really, all he was trying to do was break up the fight.

Giving him a curious look, Jude asked, "Why would you be trying to fight my boyfriend?"

"He doesn't deserve to be your boyfriend," Jamie answered without any hesitation.

Shocked, Jude could only give him an evil glare. "And since when do you get to tell me who to date?"

Fighting back, Jamie blurted out, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I told you that Shay was a bad idea… Oh, yeah, he was."

"Shut up, Jamie," Jude hissed out. "I'm sure your advice must be the best around considering you've had one girlfriend… That dumped you!"

Taking the hit, Jamie shook his head. He couldn't believe Jude would stoop that low. "You're not my Jude." His head sunk as he started to walk away, but he wasn't ready to leave it at that. He stopped and flashed around to say, "You've changed, Jude. I've hardly had an entire conversation with you, but I can tell. All of us can tell."

Tommy took another step back, away from Jamie's path as he stomped off. He could tell that Jamie was more hurt than angry now. And more than being upset with Spiederman for talking Jude from him, Jamie was mad at Jude for changing.

"Is it true?" Jude asked softly to the ground. She looked up and straight across to Tommy. "Is what he said true?"

Trying to pretend he didn't hear, Tommy turned to go after Jamie. He didn't feel like adding more drama to their lives when there was plenty already.

Still, he didn't make it far before Jude stepped in front of him. She held his arms down at his sides and stared up into his eyes. "Answer me, Tommy."

With a sigh, Tommy replied, "Yeah. You have."

Biting her bottom lip, Jude nodded her head like she understood. She still needed to know more. "And how so?"

"For one, it's like you can't do anything without him." Tommy didn't need to be in this. This was Jamie's fight, but Jude brought him in. "You can't say anything without making sure it's okay with him first. You come into the middle of their fight and he says it's Jamie's fault, so it's Jamie's fault."

"Jamie didn't start it?" Jude questioned, thinking she might be wrong.

With a sigh, Tommy replied, "Maybe Jamie did start it… But you didn't even care why. All you seem to care about is Spiederman."

"So what? When I come back home, I'm just supposed to forget about my boyfriend?" Jude questioned, slightly irritated.

Tommy turned away, suffocating on the word "boyfriend." He was really not in the mood to be fighting with her. Only moments earlier, he was thinking about starting something more with Jude. Now this? He couldn't handle it. At least not right now.

Grabbing his arm from behind, Jude stopped Tommy from his getaway. "Don't walk away from me too."

Slowly, Tommy started to turn back to Jude. His heart melted with those words. She had such an impact on him, and she didn't even know. He would never leave her. He couldn't. "Jude—"

"Let's go," Spiederman interjected. He tugged at Jude's arm and pulled her away from Tommy's grasp.

Pulling her back into the house, Spiederman got his way. Tommy couldn't help but hate the kid even more and let out a loud, frustrated noise.

"Easy there, Tiger," Sadie advised as she approached him. She handed him a glass of punch and questioned, "Where's Jamie?"

Taking a sip, Tommy thought about how much he'd appreciate the punch being spiked. Too bad for him, it was still PG. "He went home… After getting in a fight with Spiederman."

"And I thought you'd be the one to throw the first punch." Sadie took a seat on the bench placed a few feet away.

Tommy followed her and sat to her side. "I don't like violence… But if I ever did, Spiederman is undoubtedly on the list."

The both laughed, but it wasn't enough to bring Tommy out of his depression.

As the laughter died down, Sadie turned to Tommy. With complete sincerity, she said, "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

Sadie gave him a skeptical look. "I'm sorry about telling you to go after Jude. I didn't know about Spiederman."

Tommy took another sip of his punch, pretending it didn't matter. "It's not your fault. None of us knew, and I'm fine. It's cool."

"Tom!" Sadie squealed. "I just got you to open up and admit to your feelings for Jude. Don't shut me out now."

Leaning forward, Tommy rested his arms on his thighs. He spun his cup around in his hands as he took a side glance into a Harrison house window. The caught a glance of the red hair he loved so much. "I'm not shutting you out."

Sadie leaned forward also, to be at the same level as him. "Then why are you acting like this isn't a big deal?"

Finishing the last of his punch, Tommy let out a refreshing sigh. He kept his eyes on Jude, and when she looked out the window, he smiled kindly at her. "I'm gonna get her back."

A smile broke on Sadie's face. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"


	9. Chapter 9

After escorting Sadie back inside the Harrison home, Tommy left to Jamie's house. He knocked three times slowly, something both Jamie and himself have become accustomed to from each other over the summer.

Jamie opened the door, and without looking up at Tommy, he walked away. Tommy closed the door behind him and followed Jamie into the living room. Jamie plopped himself down on the couch, obviously depressed. Tommy found a seat in the chair next to the couch.

Tommy cleared his throat, asking for Jamie's attention. When he got a raised eyebrow, Tommy inquired, "Do you still have feelings for Jude?"

"No," Jamie replied with a scoff.

Nodding, Tommy continued, "Then what's wrong with her being with Spiederman?"

Jamie sat up slightly from his slouched position. He looked Tommy in the eye and asked, "What's right with it?" He took a moment before he added, "There are so many better guys out there, and Jude deserves one of them."

"Kinda harsh, man." Tommy could see that Jamie didn't exactly care. "I thought you were his friend."

"I am." Jamie rethought his statement. "I was. That's the thing… I know Spiederman. He's the kind of guy that thinks farting is funny. He plays a mean guitar, but that's about all he knows about music. He's not who Jude should be with, and you know it."

"Then who, Jamie?" Tommy asked. "You?"

Jamie sunk a little more in his seat. "We're just friends."

Nodding his head, Tommy questioned, "Is this you trying to convince yourself?"

"No." Jamie sat up, almost leaping off of the couch. "Really, I've had time to deal, and I'm dealing." He scratched his head in silence before he added, "If anyone's trying to convince himself he's over Jude, it's you."

Tommy's eyes shot a look of chock over at Jamie. He couldn't believe what Jamie was saying. Was it that obvious to the world? "What are you talking about?" Tommy asked with a look of disbelief.

Jamie shook his head in his hands. "We're friends now, right?" Jamie blurted out as he peeked through his fingers.

He watched for Tommy's nod of approval as he said, "Of course."

Removing his hands and looking Tommy dead in the eye, Jamie stated, "She's my best friend. And we've become pretty close…" Jamie stopped to gather his thoughts.

Rather impatient, Tommy blurted, "Yeah. And?"

"And you guys have this forbidden love! You want her, and she wants you…"

Tommy took a minute to accept what Jamie was saying. Instead of denying his feelings in true Tom Quincy fashion, he replied, "That's why I'm here."

Jamie's confronting eyes became filled with concern. He didn't understand where the conversation was going, but he needed to know. "Why?"

"Are you sure you're over Jude? Because we've been enemies way longer than we've been friends--"

"Uh, no," Jamie interrupted. "You don't get to make me or anyone else an excuse."

With a lighter expression, Tommy exhaled. "Am I that obvious?"

Jamie looked up at him again. With all seriousness, Jamie stated, "I don't know about everyone else… But I can see the way the two of you look at each other… And that's enough."

"I'm gonna go for it, Jamie," Tommy remarked.

They sat in silence. Jamie looked over Tommy, trying to measure his sincerity. Finally, Jamie nodded his approval and asked, "What about Spiederman?"

"What about him?" Tommy inquired back with ease.

Slightly excited, Jamie clapped his hands a few times and smiled at Tommy. He straightened his face a little and told Tommy, "I'm trusting you to treat her right, Tom Quincy." He backed down a little before continuing just as boldly, "And you better if you don't want to get beat up by the dorkiest white guy you know!"

Tommy chuckled. "I think I can handle that. I wouldn't treat Jude any other way."

"Well then," Jamie stated loudly with a clap of the hands. "Let's get to plotting!"

Confused, Tommy questioned, "Plotting?"

Jamie smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we have to get rid of Spiederman, don't we?"


	10. Chapter 10

Giant grins on their faces, Tommy and Jamie walked back into the Harrison home like they owned the place. A few of the guests had left by then, but there was still a pretty good crowd. Jamie pulled Kat away from the group surrounding Jude as Tommy joined behind Sadie.

Standing close to Sadie, Tommy placed a hand on her back. Into her ear, he whispered, "Guess what."

Recognizing his voice, Sadie leaned back and whispered, "What's up?"

Tommy smiled big. His hand slipped from behind Sadie to her side as he tickled her slightly. They were far back enough in the crowd, that no one really noticed where his hands where. She giggled as he replied, "You're a great help."

She twirled around in Tommy's arms, trying to get him to stop tickling. It too her a while to stop laughing before she asked, "What do you mean?"

Tommy leaned in close to her, slightly tilting his head. He closed his eyes as he replied, "You're a great friend."

Straightening up, Tommy gave Sadie a big hug. He left her a little confused, but she knew that it happened a lot when Jude's around. It was nearly normal.

A few feet away, Jude stood shocked. She heard from Sadie that they were just friends. The smiles and laughing was at the friends end, but that kiss? The kiss is not of "friends" territory. A kiss is something more.

Near the entrance to the kitchen, Jamie stood with a slightly annoyed Kat. "What do you want, Andrews?"

Jamie bent his knees slightly and leaned forwards. It was a bad habit for a tall guy, trying to speak quietly with a petite girl. "I need your help," Jamie replied with hinting eyes towards Jude.

With a scoff, Kat said a little louder than necessary, "I thought you were over her!"

"Could you be a little louder, Tiny?" Jamie questioned nervously.

Not so sincerely, Kat replied, "Sorry…"

"And for the record, I am over her," Jamie commented with a slight attitude. He couldn't help it since he's had that conversation a few too many times over the summer.

"Then what is this about?" Kat asked impatiently.

Trying not to say it, Jamie realized he needed to say the words. "It's about Jude."

Throwing her arms into the air, Kat scoffed and started to leave. Quickly, Jamie grabbed her by the arms to keep her in place in front of him. He continued, "It's about helping Tommy with Jude."

Kat calmed herself and looked at Jamie shocked. She stared him down until she could tell he was serious and let out a giant smile. She hugged him and exclaimed, "Jamie! This is great!"

Taking her focus off of Tommy and Sadie, Jude turned to Jamie and Kat. It was almost like no one missed her. Her best friends were off to one side, and her mentor and sister were to the other. Maybe her homecoming wasn't really such a bid deal. Maybe _she_ wasn't a big deal.

Jamie put Kat down and tried to calm her. "So are you on board?"

Looking up at him, Kat gave him a devilish smirk. "What do you think?" she questioned.

"Work with me," Jamie insisted as he held her hand and led her out into the Harrison's backyard. They watched the door as Jamie shared the plan with Kat.

Inside, Tommy pulled Sadie over to the stairs and took a seat on the steps. Sadie sat next to him. Still, Jude watched them from across the room, almost like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"What's up with you, Tom?" Sadie asked sweetly.

Tommy folded his hands over his lap and sighed. Leaning forward, he replied, "What? Can't two friends have fun together?"

Sadie nodded her head in agreement. She leaned forward to his level and commented, "Apparently, friends can also make a younger sister/object of affection jealous." When she saw the less than shocked expression on Tommy's face, Sadie looked straight forward. "I'm not stupid, Tom."

"I never said you were," Tommy replied with ease.

She gave him a curious look. Sadie didn't exactly understand why her sister was giving her death threats through her eyes, but she had a pretty good idea that it had something to do with Tommy. "So what did you just have me do to piss Jude off?"

He took a minute to think before he replied, "She might think that we just… Kissed."

Eyes wide, Sadie exclaimed, "What!"

"When I tickled you, I might've had this perfectly angled pretend kiss…"

Sadie shook her head in disbelief. "You're a real… A real… I don't know what you are, Quincy."


	11. Chapter 11

Tommy gave her a helpless pout. "I'm sorry. That's just all I could think of to get her attention."

Sadie shook her head in disbelief. "Well try something else, cause turning sisters on each other is a jackass thing to do." She tried to turn away, showing him she meant business.

"Sadie…" he stated, turning her around in his arms for a hug. "I really am sorry."

Pulling away, Sadie looked into his eyes. As she tried to read into him, she could fell his sincerity. "That had better not have been a strategically placed hug either."

Tommy stepped away from her and threw his hands in the air. "Promise." He smiled at her and gave her another friendly hug. "Mind if we talk a little more privately? I can fill you in on why I needed her attention…"

With a smirk on her face, Sadie nodded her head up the stairs. They both stood and started up towards Sadie's room. The entire time, Jude's eyes rested on them with a touch of jealousy. Every relationship around her seemed fuzzy and undefined.

Arms linked together, Kat and Jamie walked back into the Harrison home. They took a seat on the couch next to Spiederman. The tree of them watched Jude hold a polite conversation with her grandparents before she joined them again.

Jude sat close to Speiderman, placing a gentle hand on his knee. She didn't want to stir things up with Jamie, but he did storm off for a while. "You're back."

"Yeah…" Jamie replied as he draped his arm over Kat's shoulder. "It was stupid of me to have reacted that way." Jamie turned his attention back towards Spiderman and added, "Sorry, man."

Shaking Jamie's hand across both girls' laps, Spiederman gave him a head nod of approval. "It's cool, man." He glanced over at Jude with a smile on his face. "It'd be hard to lose this girl."

Almost immediately, Jamie started to shake his head in disagreement. He didn't mean to offend Jude, but he knew it would be one way to get a reaction out of her.

"Uh, thanks, Jamie…" Jude stated hesitantly. She felt hurt and looked even worse. It was definitely an easy look to read from her eyes and voice.

With a touch of guilt, Jamie looked down at Kat and back at Jude. He wanted to check Spiederman's reaction as well. Jamie stated, "I didn't mean it like that." He took his arm from around Kat and leaned off of his seat to face Jude a little better. "It wasn't that I 'lost' you to Spied. I was just kinda angry that 'best friend Jamie' figured it out with everyone else."

"Same here," Kat blurted out. "Talk about leaving us out of the loop."

Jude moved from Spiederman's side to the coffee table. She sat directly across from Kat and Jamie. "I'm sorry you guys. Things just happened so quickly and with the tour and all… But it looks like you guys left me out about getting back together."

At the same time, Jamie and Kat looked at each other, back at Jude, at each other again, and then burst into laughter. Jude eyed them strangely the entire time.

Trying to fight the laughter, Kat spoke in a high pitched voice. "Jamie and I are just friend!"

Skeptically, Jude commented, "But I saw you guys acting all couple-y."

"Some people just work out better as friends," Jamie replied with the laughter dying. "It just took us a while to realize it." Jamie smiled, both because it was true that himself and Kat were at a good spot and because their plan was working out perfectly so far.

Nodding in agreement, Kat added, "Kinda like you and Jamie and Sadie and Tommy, you know? A lot of couples should just stay friends."

Hearing Tommy and Sadie were just friends put Jude's mind at ease. Still, it took her a moment to fully digest the idea that Jamie and Kat were trying to get across. She glanced over at Spiederman, him already deep in thought. She could also tell that his thoughts weren't very pleasant.

Jude turned her attention back to her friends and said, "Well, some of the best relationships start out as friendships."

A smile broke on Spiederman's face. "Damn straight," he agreed.

Instantly, Kat also agreed. "You're right!" She glanced over at Jamie, who looked incredibly shocked. To save both of them, and their agenda, she elaborated, "But you have to have that spark. You know, the magic you feel when you're writing a song… That undeniable connection." She shrugged, trying to play off the intensity of her hinting words. "That's the real stuff."

The smirk quickly returned to Jamie's face. He always knew Kat was brilliant. Really, he wanted to hug her or give her a high five, but he did his best to keep it in. He wouldn't let their plan be revealed or spoiled.

"I think we've got sparks," Spiederman remarked as he leaned forward towards Kat.

Trying to hide her face from him, Kat smiled sweetly at Jude. She stated, "I never said a thing."

Jamie was still trying his hardest to keep all his emotions inside. The whole situation was hilarious to him, but he couldn't laugh. He was afraid even his wise cracks would get him figured out. He glanced over his shoulder to find Tommy and Sadie coming back down the stairs. Jamie turned back around and found Jude also spotted them.


	12. Chapter 12

Eyeing them, Jude directed her voice towards Kat when she asked, "Are you sure they're not together?"

Walking by, Kwest followed everyone's eyes to Tommy and Sadie in the corner. He raised an eyebrow to them and blurted out, "They better not!"

The tension quickly eased as smiled broke on everyone's faces, Jude even laughing lightly. Kwest however was not so amused.

Spiederman questioned, "A little over protective of your Tommy Q?"

Laughter continuing, Kat added, "A Sadie obsession, Kwest?"

Kwest blushed a little and looked down at Kat. "Hey, don't hate on my game."

In an instant, Jude's laughter stopped. "You and my sister?" Jude blurted out a little loudly.

Everyone stopped and stared at Jude. She smiled, waiting for people to return to what they were doing as Sadie approached.

With curious eyes, Sadie smiled faintly. She asked, "What is this I hear about your sister? Your sister being me and all…"

"Nothing!" Kwest answered for Jude, a little took quickly.

Still uneasy, Sadie nodded. "Okay, then!" Standing behind the couch Sadie put her hands on Jamie's shoulders. "Help me run to the store?"

Gladly, Jamie raised his eyebrows to the group in a suggestive manner. He bounced up and replied, "My pleasure!"

Sadie smiled sweetly and went out the door with Jamie. As they started towards Jamie's house, they both started laughing. She pushed Jamie away from her in a playful manner.

"Hey! Don't blow our cover, Agent Harrison," Jamie remarked as he got closer to Sadie again. He draped his arm over her shoulder as they walked into his driveway.

Trying to calm her laughter, Sadie accepted his touch. She simply stated, "Well don't be an over achiever, Agent Andrews."

Jamie suddenly stopped and took his arm from around Sadie. "Shoot! I forgot about Tommy's car. He's blocked me in."

Sadie shrugged it off with ease. "We can just go back and ask him to move it."

"Alright." A thought hit Jamie. "And we could even step our plan up a bit!" He held his hand out to Sadie, palm up.

She sighed and rolled her eyes as she took Jamie's hand. "What I do for my sister…"

Pretending to be offended, Jamie scoffed. "What a little heartbreaker I have here!" He gave her sad eyes, but couldn't help laughing. "So, uh…" Jamie looked straight ahead as they walked, trying to make the conversation easier. "Is there something going on with you and Kwest?"

A smile broke on Sadie's face, but she tried her best to hide it. She cleared her throat and answered, "We're just friends."

Nodding, Jamie took a deep breath before leading them back into the house, hand in hand.

"Holy hand holding!" Spiederman exclaimed as Jamie and Sadie walked through the party.

Tommy chuckled lightly in the corner. All the shocked faces on the couch were worth the trouble. He looked down and rubbed his forehead to calm himself. He looked back up to find Sadie and Jamie in front of him.

"Hey, mind moving your car for a sec?" Jamie asked. His palms were sweating against Sadie's. Jamie's nerves were starting to build up with all those eyes on him.

His eyes scanned over the somewhat odd couple. Tommy couldn't help but laugh again as he fished his keys out of his pocket. "All that hard work you guys are putting in, the lease I could do is move my car."

In one swift movement, Sadie released Jamie's sweaty hand and shoved Tommy playfully. The only result was Tommy's laughter growing.

Staring the entire time, Jude was finally able to form a thought. "Jamie and Sadie?"

"I'd like to second the shock," Kwest commented with a raised hand. "When did this happen?"

Kat turned to look at them for the first time. She laughed inside when she saw Jamie's hand travel to Sadie's waist hesitantly. Kat turned back and responded, "They started spending a lot of time together when Sadie got back from Europe. They just started dating a week or two ago."

Kwest quickly saddened. He had developed a crush on Sadie and suddenly felt his chance with her was squashed. He walked over to them, trying to keep his cool. "I thought you guys were going to the store."

Sadie glanced over her shoulder and found Kwest directly behind her, on the other side of Jamie. She suddenly felt herself sandwiched between two guys, her nerves heading to panic mode. Sadie gave Tommy a wide-eyed expression as she took a step away from Kwest and closer to Jamie. She smiled sweetly at him and stated, "We just need Tommy to move his car."

It stung when Sadie moved closer to Jamie. Kwest nodded in understanding of multiple things. He avoided everyone's eyes as he added, "I could take you guys, but you probably want to have some alone time." Kwest started to turn away, defeated.

An instant rush of guilt formed over Sadie. She knew about Kwest's crush and she really did love the time they spent together. She looked at Tommy, pleading with her eyes for him to say something.

"Uh, Kwest! Hold up!" he called after him. Tommy gave Sadie a reassuring smile to let her know he'd handle things. "Why don't we just go to the store."

Kwest stopped and turned back towards them. He looked at Sadie and Jamie together, then quickly turned to Tommy. "Sure," he replied simply. Kwest would much rather have Sadie and Jamie in a house full of people than alone somewhere else.

Tommy could tell his friend was hurting and he felt like it was all his fault. He knew he had to let him in on their shenanigans. "So what do you need?" Tommy asked Sadie.

"Ice, strawberries, ice cream, and vodka," Sadie answered coolly. When she saw the expression of skepticism on Tommy's face, she sighed. "Ok, so maybe just the ice and strawberries… The ice cream was for me and the vodka was to liven this snoozer up."

"Nice try, Nugget," Jamie stated to Sadie in a dry voice.

The three of them gave Jamie weird looks. Tommy's laughter started up, Sadie blushed slightly, and Kwest gave Jamie the death glare.

Jamie pressed his lips together and tried his best to smile. "So maybe that's not the best pet name…" He saw Sadie's embarrassment and took her into his arms, letting her bury her pink cheeks in his chest. "Sorry, Kitten."

Laughing harder, Tommy questioned, " 'Kitten'?"

Jamie quickly shot him an evil glare and responded, "Okay! So I officially suck with pet names!" Jamie squeezed Sadie a little tighter in his arms. "I'm just gonna quit while I'm ahead…"

Sill with a serious look on his face, Kwest simply noted, "You were never ahead." He turned back to Tommy who was recovering from laughter. Kwest cleared his throat to get Tommy's attention and stated, "We should go."


	13. Chapter 13

Still in shock, Jude could only stare at Jamie and Sadie in the corner. She didn't understand what was happening around her. Everything seemed to be so screwed up. It felt like Sadie had taken Jude's place while she was gone.

Sadie and Jamie made their way to the couch and sat closely together. Sadie crossed her legs and placed her hand on Jamie's knee. She smiled up at him before both turned their attention to Jude.

Feeling more than awkward and stressed out, Jude cleared her throat. She eyed them strangely and asked, "Why-why didn't you guys tell me..?"

Neither of them really knew how to answer her question. Trying to buy them more time and seem more couple-y, Jamie draped his arm over Sadie's shoulder and played with her hair between his fingers.

Sadie looked up at him when she felt his gentle touch. They shared a warm smile with each other before Jamie spoke. "We didn't want to take away from your party, and neither of us thought it was right to tell you over the phone."

Widening both her eyes and smile to Jamie, Sadie was surprised. She didn't realize that he'd be able to come up with something and lie to Jude, nonetheless. She leaned into him a little more, somewhat enjoying his feel.

Spiederman glanced at the couple curiously. He looked them over with lips pressed together and nodded. "Cute couple. I like it."

"Thanks, Spied," Sadie replied. She looked at Jude and could tell their relationship was still over her head. "You okay, Jude?"

Tommy and Kwest ventured down the street a block before reaching Kwest's car. Tommy had offered to drive, but Kwest refused to step foot on Jamie's property. Kwest took quick steps, holding his head up in the air. Tommy took his time, striding with his sunglasses on. He glanced around, taking in the surroundings as well as trying to read Kwest's mind.

As soon as Tommy was seated in the Mustang, he looked over at a glum Kwest. "You okay?" Tommy asked as he closed his door.

Kwest started the car and pulled out in silence. He was never one to lie, but he didn't want to talk about it. "Let's just get the stuff and get back to the party."

Tommy nodded, understanding. He stayed silent as they drove down the neighborhood and turned the corner on to a busy street. The silence was awkward and had Tommy reaching for the radio.

"Sadie and Jamie!" Kwest blurted out in frustration before Tommy could click on the radio.

Chuckling, Tommy put his hand down from the radio and relaxed in his seat. "It really bothers you, doesn't it?" Tommy questioned.

Kwest shook his head, trying to keep his feelings unnoticed. "What do I have to be bothered by?" he remarked as coolly as possible.

Giving him a strange look, Tommy chuckled again. He could tell there was a lot being unsaid. "Maybe the fact that Sadie's suddenly paired with Jamie instead of you… You know, since you have a Sadie-crush."

Straightening out and stiffening his body, Kwest cleared his throat. He tried to act like nothing bothered him as he gripped the steering wheel a tad tighter. "I-I so don't have a crush on Sadie," Kwest stated nervously. He quickly reached over to the radio and switched it on before stopping at a red light.

"Come on, man!" Tommy exclaimed as he turned the radio back off.

Kwest took a hand off of the steering wheel to rub the back of his neck. He sighed and asked, "Is it really that obvious?"

With a giant smile on his face, Tommy slowly nodded as he replied with an, "Oh yeah."

The light turned green and Kwest took a left turn. His grip on the wheel was staring to turn his hand red. "You tell me, man. You're friends with all three of us, and Sadie chooses Jamie… Why not me?" Kwest flashed glances over his shoulder, trying to read Tommy's answer from his face.

With ease, Tommy replied, "Trust me, it's nothing personal."

"Then what the hell is it?" Kwest questioned instantly. "Jamie is a complete dork! He drives around a piece of crap and he's way to young for her!"

Tommy turned towards the window, trying to hide his smile. It grew harder as his smile widened and slowly turned into laughter. "Give Jamie a break. The guy's got his moments."

Kwest scoffed at the thought and made an extremely sharp turn into the grocery store's parking lot. Tommy flew to one side, then to the other before flinging forwards and bouncing off of his seat. Kwest parked the car and threw his hands up into the air with frustration. "Moments!" He glared at Tommy in a mess, nearly splattered in the Mustang. Kwest opened his door and stated, "We probably should get that Vodka… For me."

Slowly sitting up and opening his door, Tommy got out with a touch of nausea. He took a deep breath and a few large steps to catch up with Kwest. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Now that you can't drive me into a river or wall or whatever, there's something I want to tell you."

Raising his hand slightly, Kwest slowly clenched into a fist. He squinted at Tommy and stated, "If you try defending Jamie again, I might have to punch you."

Tommy took a step away from Kwest, knowing just how irritated he was at this point. He started into the store, making sure Kwest would follow. "Actually, I thought I should let you in on the plan."

Kwest stared at Tommy strangely. "Plan?" he muttered quietly. Kwest took a few quick steps into the store, catching up with Tommy. He didn't know what he meant by that, but he knew for sure that he wanted the facts.


	14. Chapter 14

Kwest placed a bottle of Vodka in front of the cash register. "We're gone need this," Kwest said with certainty.

Tommy laughed as he handed the bottle to the cashier. He grabbed the money Sadie had given them for the supplies from hi jacket pocket. He paid for their things and picked up one bag, leaving the other for Kwest.

As they started back towards the car, Tommy noticed the look of deep thought on Kwest's face. He knew that Kwest must still be thinking about the plan. "Okay, what is it?" Tommy questioned.

"What's what?" Kwest asked back as he unlocked the car and opened his door.

They both climbed into the Mustang and took their seats. Kwest quickly started the car, but refrained from moving it while he sighed. He took a short glance at Tommy, but it was long enough for Tommy to catch the judgmental glare in Kwest's eye.

Watching Kwest reverse out of the parking space and start back on the street, Tommy rubbed his forehead. He finally spoke, "You hate the plan, don't you? You think it won't work."

Kwest shook his head as he slowly pulled up and stopped at an intersection. "It's not that I don't think it'll work," Kwest replied.

With his forehead scrunched in confusion, Tommy gave Kwest a strange look. He asked, "Then what's got you acting all weird, man?"

Kwest turned back into Jude's neighborhood and watched carefully for any signs of a good parking space. "I just…" he started with a touch of distraction.

Feeling a little more than impatient when it comes to getting the love of his life, Tommy huffed and shook his head. He reached across Kwest and nudged the steering wheel slightly. "Just park, Kwest. We can walk… And then you can answer my question."

"Alright, man," Kwest commented. He could tell Tommy meant business and pulled up against an open spot along the sidewalk. They were over three blocks away from the Harrison home, but it would give them a chance to talk, which they both knew needed to be done.

Tommy grabbed his bag from the car and slammed his door shut. As he waited for Kwest to do the same, he questioned, "Is it because I dragged Sadie into this? You're mad because you can't make your move..?"

Kwest shook his head and snickered as he locked his car and they started walking. "No. And for the record, I'm not mad. I'm more…" Kwest hesitated to finish his statement, but his friend needed to know the truth. "Disappointed… In you."

The words his Tommy and they stung. "Disappointed?"

Pressing his lips together, Kwest watched his feet as he nodded shyly. "I mean, since when did Tom Quincy ever punk out like this?"

Shrugging slightly, Tommy shook his head in frustration. "What are you talking about? How am I punking out?"

Taking a deep breath, Kwest replied, "I don't know… I just don't know what happened to you." He looked up and saw the hurt in Tommy's eyes. He tried to clarify, "I mean, since when did true love need a plan?"

Tommy looked over at Kwest with shock. He'd only heard Jude referred to as his true love one other time, and it was a tabloid trying to feel the rumor mill. But this time, it actually felt real to him. He didn't feel like he was being tricked by his own heart, or being forced into something by the people around him. It just felt right. "You really think she's my true love?" he asked Kwest with a faint smile on his face.

"Of course, man!" Kwest exclaimed in an anxious manner. He shrugged and continued, "It's the kind of love that gives the rest of us hope… And I just guess that's why needing a plan sucks."

They kept walking in silence until they turned the corner and the Harrison home was in view. Tommy suddenly stopped Kwest with a hand to his chest. "So, abort plan 'Get Jude'?" he questioned nervously.

Kwest chuckled and shook his head. "Look, it's not up to me. I mean, a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath, contemplating the idea. "But remember, what it comes down to is the love you guys have for each other. Tricks, games, and stunts be damned."

Tommy nodded with his lips pressed together. Kwest was always the wisest friend he had, but the most confusing at the same time. It always seemed like neither of them were able to give each other straight answers. But whatever they were doing, it seemed to work. Both were successful gentlemen and happy with that life… For the most part.

Only a few feet away, Kwest stopped Tommy in the same sudden fashion. "I'd just rethink the name, 'Get Jude'… You think 007 would be that obvious on a mission?"

Shaking his head, Tommy chuckled softly. They continued walking, and Tommy put a hand on Kwest's shoulder to ask, "What do you suggest then?"

"I don't know," Kwest started. "You should try something more masculine… Like, 'Destroying the Guitarist' or more coded and call it 'Mission 24'!"

Tommy continued shaking his head and laughing all the way into the house. The house still seemed to be crowded with friendly faces, but it seemed to have died down some. The others were still sprawled out on the couch, including Sadie snuggled in Jamie's arms. But the only person that really mattered to Tommy was missing.


	15. Chapter 15

Sadie glanced at Tommy and could tell he was scanning the room for Jude. She instantly rose to her feet and took one of the grocery bags from Kwest, leaving him empty-handed. She continued onwards to the kitchen, following Tommy. She set her bag on the counter, and with her voice low, she stated, "She's out back with Speed…"

At first, Tommy was surprised that Sadie was with him instead of Kwest. He leaned backwards a little and stared out into the hall, seeing Kwest standing alone awkwardly. Shrugging it off, Tommy started emptying his bag as well. "Doesn't bother me," he replied falsely.

Pulling out the bottle of Vodka, Sadie chuckled to herself. She glanced over at Tommy, holding it up with a raised eyebrow.

"Kwest said we would need it…" Tommy explained. He took the bottle from Sadie's hand and placed it on the countertop. "He doesn't think I should go through with the plan."

Sadie nodded as she started washing the strawberries. "Well, what about you? I mean, do you want to back out?"

Tommy thought about it for a moment. He watched Sadie washing the berries between her fingers and the gentle water. The strawberries were the fiery red of Jude's hair, the sweet taste of her personality, and the delicate care he'd take to handle her… The simplest actions and mundane activities reminded Tommy of Jude. "All I know… Is that I want her," he stated softly.

With a faint smile on her face, Sadie placed the fresh strawberries on a platter. "Well then… Whatever it takes, right?"

"Right," Tommy muttered as Sadie passed by him.

He lingered in the kitchen for a moment, leaning back against the counter. As he turned his head, he found Jude and Spiederman seated happily outside of the window. He wanted so badly to be the one sitting with her, it hurt. Never has he felt any emotions so strongly, but now he did. His heart ached wit love, loneliness, jealousy, desire, and any other feeling he could touch. At this point, all he knew he needed was his girl.

As Spiederman glanced into the window, he spotted Tommy quickly turning away. It made him uneasy to say the least, but he chose to ignore it and enjoy his alone time with Jude. He turned his attention back to her and remarked, "This is one pretty huge shindig, huh?"

Jude giggled faintly and nodded her head. "Yeah. It was nice of them to plan a surprise party." Jude stared downwards at the brass beneath her, slightly distracted.

Keeping hi eyes on his girlfriend, Speed could tell she was distant. She wasn't this way on tour, so he had a feeling what triggered her sudden change in mood. "Who's 'them'? You said 'it was nice of them'…"

Looking upwards, Jude could hear somewhat of a bitter undertone in his question. She shrugged and replied, "I don't know… My family..?" Jude glanced up at Speed and asked, "What are you getting at?"

Speed cleared his throat calmly. "I don't know. I just thought maybe Jamie helped."

"Jamie probably helped. And Kat too," Jude stated. She continued eyeing Spiederman, knowing that he was holding back.

"And Tommy..? Did he help?" Speed finally asked.

Jude rolled her eyes as she turned away from Spiederman. "I don't know, Speed. If they asked him to, he probably helped out," she replied simply. Glancing back over at him, she could tell there was still more he wanted to say. "What?" she inquired.

Spiederman shrugged. "I don't know… Don't you think that's above and beyond the duty of a producer..?" He looked at his girlfriend timidly, hoping that she would see it the way he does.

Instantly, Jude shook her head at him. "He's a friend too, Speed. And a good guy."

"It just seems like he's working overtime if you know what I mean," Spiederman commented.

With a scoff, Jude stood up slightly irritated. "Leave it alone, Vincent."

Standing as well, Spiederman faced Jude and stared hard into her eyes. "First of all, there is no need for the first name. Second, everyone knows that he's more than a producer…" He clenched hi jaw and swallowed hard before continuing. "I just can't seem to figure out if that's how he wants it, or if that's how you want it."


	16. Chapter 16

Jude pressed her lips together and nodded stiffly. She crossed her arms over her chest before making eye contact with Spiederman again. "Save yourself some time and energy then, Vincent," she started, saying his name loud and clear. "Don't think about me at all."

Pushed backwards as Jude roughly passed him, Speed was left in a state of shock. It took him a moment before deciding to go after her and make amends for his jealousy and accusations. He chased her into the house, but he got trapped by other party guests. By the time he was able to break through them, he was only able to catch a glimpse of her feet heading up the stairs and was filled with a feeling of stupidity.

Watching the entire scene from the food table, Sadie took a few steps over towards Speed. "Smooth," she stated sarcastically in his ear.

Spiederman's head fell and he stared at his feet. "Gee, thanks, Sadie," he said with horribly fake pleasure. He brought his head back up and glanced at Sadie. "And you and Jamie are the perfect couple," he bit back. He knew it wasn't Sadie's fault, but her comments weren't helping either. It was simply easier to take out his anger on Sadie instead of himself.

Sadie nodded with her lips pressed together. She didn't want to kick the guy while he was down, even if slight badgering was part of the plan. To her, it was finally getting sad that they were trying to break them up when Sadie could tell he really did care about Jude. Sadie didn't want to go back on the plan, but she knew she had to set at least one thing straight. It was early in the game anyways. "I'll go talk to her," she told Speed.

"Really..?" Speed questioned skeptically. He watched Sadie nod her head, and a smile grew on his own face. Spiederman instantly squealed with delight. His entire disposition flipped as he hugged Sadie tightly and spun around with her in his arms. "Thank you so much, Sades!"

From the couch, the others stared at them wildly. They had just seen Jude storm off angrily, and now Spiederman was jumping for joy. It was confusing for the rest of them, especially without the full story at hand.

Tommy leaned in with a worried sigh and his eyes bulging out of his skull. He whispered, but still boldly questioned, "What the hell is going on over there?"

"I'll handle it," Jamie offered. He could see that Tommy was getting nervous about this situation, and part of him was also feeling a little protective of Sadie. He knew it was just a role that both of them were playing to help Tommy, but even if it wasn't reality, Speed was crossing an imaginary line.

Jamie rushed over to Spiederman and Sadie, forcing his way between them. "One Harrison per person," he said in an irritated voice. Jamie glared at Speed for a moment, shielding Sadie with his body as he stood between her and Spiederman. He dryly stated, "You have a Jude, and you're on mine why?"

Taking a giant step back, Speed instantly realized that he had let his excitement get the best of him. "Sorry bro," he started in a more than calm tone. "Jude and I just had a fight and Sadie's gonna talk to her for me," he explained.

"What!" Jamie exclaimed. He could see that he startled both Sadie and Speed, as well as the rest of the party. He put a giant, and obviously fake, smile on his face. In a more pleasant tone, he rolled his eyes over towards Sadie and questioned, "You're what?"

With a shrug, Sadie gave Jamie apologetic eyes. She knew that she was doing something wrong, but she couldn't help her feelings towards the situation. It was almost like she could be a good sister and a bad sister by helping either one of Jude's men. It had definitely put her in a rough spot. Sadie flashed glances between a frustrated Jamie and a confused Spiederman.

Knowing that something unplanned was going on in Sadie's head, Jamie grabbed her wrist. He turned to Spiederman and remarked, "I need to have a word with my wonderful and cooperative girlfriend…" He flashed that same fake smile to Speed before he turned away and brought Sadie into the kitchen. "What happened to the plan?" he asked in a whisper.

"This isn't part of it," Sadie replied. She shook her head in a stubborn fashion and continued, "Them getting into this fight or me talking to her. Not part of the plan."

Jamie stared into Sadie's eyes and could tell that she had already set her mind to talking with Jude. He knew she had a point to what she said, but he was also worried that it might ruin things. "Yeah, but it's like we skipped a whole step!" he offered for solace. "So go our team!" Jamie exclaimed as he raised his hand for a high-five. When he realized Sadie wouldn't return his gesture, he balled his hand into a fist and shook it angrily at the roof above him.

Sadie continued to shake her head, but this time, more in disappointment. "It's sad, Jamie," she stated with a touch of guilt. Sadie looked out of the kitchen and saw Spiederman staring at her from the hallway. If she looked a little to the side, she could also see Tommy, Kwest, and Kat peering in to see what was happening as well. Sadie let out a sigh and took a couple of steps away from the opening, getting out of everyone's view. She stated exasperatedly, "Our team kinda sucks."

"What the heck, Harrison!" Jamie exclaimed once more. He followed her deeper into the kitchen as he saw the others, and a few random guests, staring. He lowered his voice, remembering that some things were supposed to be a secret. "Are you a double agent?" he inquired.

"Jamie," Sadie started, shaking her head. "Shut up." Sadie exhaled deeply and rubbed her forehead. She didn't know why she was doing this, especially after repeatedly pushing Tommy towards Jude. Things just got confusing fast. "I just think it's sad that we're breaking them up," she finally admitted, trying to make that single point clear.

He continued to eye her strangely. Even if it was a devious act, there was so much more history to this situation that he felt like Sadie wasn't even considering. "Weren't you the one pushing it and all excited..?" he asked, trying to make her remember the way things were before Jude came back.

With a shrug, Sadie replied, "Yeah…" She knew that she spent most of her time, wishing that Tommy would be bold enough to stop wasting time and make his move. "But I didn't think about anyone getting hurt," she contradicted. It wasn't that she was forgetting about their past, it was that previously, she wasn't thinking about anyone else's future. If anything, Sadie was thinking more than before.

"No one's gonna get hurt," Jamie replied simply.

Sadie shook her head slowly. She took Jamie's hand and cradled it with her own. She lead him back to the kitchen opening nonchalantly. She nodded for Jamie to look over at Spiederman, and remarked "Look at him, Jamie." The two of them took a moment to watch Speed. He simply stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring down at his feet. Occasionally, he'd hear a noise and look up the stairs, but quickly crushed, he'd gaze back at the ground. "He's already hurt."

Even though he was angry at his friend for being the newest man in Jude's life, Spiederman was still Jamie's friend. "Fine…" he stated in a defeated manner. He could tell that no one was happy at this point, not even Tommy. "Talk to Jude." He turned his attention to Tommy on the couch. He watched Tommy watching them, and could tell the look of curiosity and concern came from his want for Jude. And if Jamie had to lose Jude to anyone, he wanted it to be to someone good enough for her. "But I'm still on Team Quincy," he stated.

Sadie swallowed hard and stated timidly, "I can't." She started to shake her head as she rolled her eyes upwards to look at Jamie. "I'm not on either team."

"Sadie…" Jamie started, still eyeing Sadie strangely. He rubbed his thumb over the surface of her hand in a comforting way.

Taking a deep breath, Sadie shook her head. Slowly, she released Jamie's hand and took a step back from him. "Just let him know I'm still rooting for him," she told Jamie. Sadie smiled faintly and took a few more steps to return back to Spiederman. She looked at him briefly before heading up the stairs to find Jude.


	17. Chapter 17

The few sitting around the coffee table all avoided eye contact with each other. They had just watched Sadie break away from Jamie in the kitchen, and go upstairs. Her body language as she left them was a clear sign that something wrong had just happened. They didn't know the dirty little details, but they knew it wasn't in favor of their team.

Kwest looked upwards as a glum Jamie plopped onto the sofa. He took a deep breath with a raised eyebrow and stated, "If I didn't know better, it would've looked like you just got dumped."

Jamie moved his head slightly in his slouched position. "Shut up," was all he could manage to say.

Kat leaned in closer to the others, trying to keep quiet while Spiederman was near. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Jamie replied in a sullen tone. He wasn't so worried about himself in this situation. The mood he was suddenly was more in support of Tommy than anything else.

Tommy eyed Jamie strangely. He was anxious to find out what exactly was happening, but Jamie wasn't giving him the information he wanted. He started, "Then what—"

"She's out," Jamie blurted in a calm tone. He shook his head with disappointment before fixing his posture in his seat. He sat up and leaned forward, propping himself up with his arms resting on his knees.

Squinting, Tommy continued to eye Jamie. He honestly thought he might've heard Jamie wrong, because otherwise, he might've lost the war. "What?" he inquired in a shocked manner.

Turning his attention to Tommy, Jamie had a rush of guilt over him. He knew he was only the messenger, but for some reason, he felt like he was to blame. "She doesn't want to play any games," he stated. He looked at Tommy with apologetic eyes, hoping that he'd understand.

"Are you kidding me?" Tommy questioned loudly. When he realized he had just brought a few others into their conversation, he tried to relax himself and turn the inquiring faces away. He waited a minute before lowering his voice and continuing, "I need her."

Jamie nodded, understanding the point where Tommy lost control of his voice. Jamie himself had been shocked repeatedly, and this must've topped the rest. "She feels guilty about breaking them up," he explained, hoping he could make some sense of Sadie's decision. He shrugged, showing that he didn't really know what else there was to it.

Kat's eyes went big and she cocked her head. "Newsflash: if they don't break up, Tommy can't get the girl."

"Yeah," Kwest nodded. "And if Sadie's out of the game, Jamie can't play either."

Tommy nodded, realizing that all his plans were going under. He has lost that hope that he could get the girl, and he hated it. In a defeated manner, he cradled his head in his hands. "And I just don't know if I can do it without her," he cooed.

Kwest raised an eyebrow skeptically. He just had a feeling that he heard too much remorse in Tommy's voice with that last statement. "Which Harrison are you after again..?"

"Shut up, man," Tommy bit back. He was tired of all this scheming and deceiving. His head hurt from this so-called party. "You know how it is with me and Sadie," he stated without much need to justify anything. "If she doesn't think I can do it…"

Jamie immediately sat up and began shaking his head. "She never said that."

Tommy looked at Jamie with his lips pressed together. "But she's not on my side anymore." Tommy sighed, throwing his head backwards gently. He looked over at Spiederman who was hopefully looking up the stairs. "Who knows what she's up there saying to Jude?"

"Harrison's just have to be difficult, okay?" Jamie said, trying to be reassuring.

Kat shook her head at Jamie and snickered slightly. She knew that Jamie was trying to lighten the mood, but sometimes his sense of humor didn't do anything but make people more tense. "Yeah, probably not helping right now, Jamie," she stated, implying he shouldn't say much more.

Kwest remarked, "But it's true."

Flashing a glance back at Kwest, even Kat knew that the boys were right. She knew Jude and Sadie weren't the easiest girls to please, but Tommy didn't need any more of that pressure at the moment. No one needed to know that they were so behind in the plan already, that there might not be any hope. Kat just wanted to be a good friend and help Jude be with the right guy, even if he was the one fighting for her.

Tommy put his palm against his forehead, massaging it slightly. He sighed and started, "If Sadie's not on my side—"

"She is," Jamie insisted. He turned his attention to Tommy, waiting for Tommy to look up. He stared him straight in the eyes and stated, "She wants you to get the girl." He nodded once and clenched his jaw before adding, "She just wants to play fair."


	18. Chapter 18

Hopping up the last stair steps, Sadie approached Jude's room. She knocked on the door twice, but heard no answer from inside. She waited for a moment before she took it into her own hands to just enter, and hope for the best.

"Go away!" Jude exclaimed as she heard her door open behind her. She didn't bother to turn around, and just continued to write in her journal at her desk.

Ignoring her sister's wishes, Sadie closed the door behind her and stepped further into the room. "It's just me," Sadie stated. She continued in and sat down on Jude's bed, behind where Jude was seated.

Jude turned to her sister and glared at her. "And that makes a difference how?" Jude asked with a smart tone.

"Wow," Sadie stated with a cock of her head. She stared at her sister with judging eyes and remarked, "For a second, I totally believed you hated me."

Letting her angry expression fall off her face, Jude softly muttered, "Sorry." She shuffled her bangs between her fingers and started, "Just…" Jude shook her head, not being able to find the right words. She stood up and started to pace the floor. She finally threw her hands up in the air and stated, "Speed's so frustrating sometimes!"

Sadie tilted her head as she watched her sister's actions. If that's how Jude really felt about Spiederman, then maybe it wouldn't do any damage for Sadie not to try and help. Or maybe Jude was just confused with her feelings, now that she was back home and her new relationship was exposed. "He's really sorry if that changes anything," Sadie commented, deciding to start their talk off easy.

Jude instantly shook her head and stopped her pacing to look at Sadie. "No, not really."

Still staring at her sister, Sadie wanted to get down to the problem and see if it was repairable, or just an achieved step in Tommy's plan. "What happened?" she asked curiously.

Continuing to pace the floor, Jude pushed her hands into her back pockets. She shrugged her shoulders and finally admitted, "He thinks there's something going on with me and Tommy." Jude shook her head as she walked. She stopped for a moment to look at Sadie and said, "I mean, that's crazy."

Sadie smiled to herself. She looked down in her lap so Jude wouldn't see that Sadie was entertained by this subject. Wiping the grin off of her face, Sadie looked up at Jude and stated, "Maybe you've forgotten, Jude, but before you went on tour, I'm pretty sure we were fighting over a Tom Quincy." Sadie raised an eyebrow to Jude, hoping that she'd understand where Spiederman must've been coming from.

Jude blushed, a little embarrassed for the way she acted then. "Yeah, but that was before tour," Jude explained. "After he chose you…" Jude took a deep breath and shook that heartbreaking moment out of her mind. "When Speed and I got together, I put Tommy behind me and Speed first. I'm over Quincy."

"So tell Speed that!" Sadie stated simply. She knew that if Jude was telling the truth, then it'd be an easy task. But knowing her sister, and the entire situation better than that, Sadie knew that it could just be another time Jude decides to act stubbornly. "That doesn't seem too hard," Sadie commented, slightly antagonizing her sister.

Turning, Jude started to walk faster as she paced the length of her room. She avoided her sister's eyes as she spoke her thoughts aloud. "But it's like he doesn't trust me or something. Like, he had to be so sneaky just bringing the subject up." Jude scoffed as she thought about all the things that annoyed her with their conversation earlier. "And he still hasn't really asked me, just assumed things."

Sadie rolled her eyes at her sister's frustration. Something told Sadie that it wasn't just the way Speed acted that was making Jude confused. She grabbed her sister's hand, trying to stop her from burning a hole through the carpet. "Jude, if it's not true, then there shouldn't be a problem," she remarked, knowing that there was some extra fuel behind the fire.

"What are you saying?" Jude asked, looking into her sister's eyes. She knew that Sadie had another meaning behind those words, but she couldn't tell what.

Pulling Jude to sit by her side, Sadie kept her voice quiet. She knew the two of them were alone, but it felt like something that would be better to share like a secret. "Well, maybe you're really angry at yourself, not Spiederman." When she could see that Jude wasn't completely following, she added, "You care about someone other than your boyfriend, and he can see it."

Jude quickly stood and backed away from Sadie. "That's not it…" she stated defensively. Jude crossed her arms over her chest, feeling violated that Sadie could even think hat way. "That-that's stupid."

With a shrug, Sadie looked at her sister with wide eyes. She stood as well and stated, "Then make up with him."

Jude shook her head in disagreement. "I don't think I can do that either," she remarked. "He meant what he said," she commented timidly. She hugged her arms a little tighter around her and added, "And the way I freaked out on him just shows what I giant drama queen I am."

"I can't argue with that," Sadie quickly joked with a smirk on her face. Turning her humor into something sincere, Sadie stated, "But he's honestly heartbroken down there, Jude. I wouldn't be butting in if I didn't think he was going to cry, or breakdown, or hold a stereo over his head blasting really bad 80s music while I'm trying to sleep."

A smile broke on Jude's face. She didn't think that he honestly cared that much, and it was nice to know that someone really did. "Is he really that bad..?" Jude asked with a hint of hope for a lasting relationship.

Sadie could see that his agony meant something to Jude. She smiled that her sister found some sort of happiness, even if it was with the wrong person. "He's a mess, Jude," Sadie remarked. She knew that there was still something in Jude that connected her to Tommy, but she would have to come around on her own. "Go talk to him."


	19. Chapter 19

Seeing Jude come down the stairs, Spiederman's face lit up. His heart was beating fast as he waited for her to reach the bottom floor. As soon as she did, Speed blurted out, "I'm so sorry."

Jude smiled as she could see he was both sincere and nervous. Her talk with Sadie and pointed her into so many different directions, but for the most part, things with Spiederman just seemed simple. "So am I!" she replied jubilantly.

Speed had a giant grin on his face. He saw Sadie stepping down the stairs behind Jude, and felt a little bit confused. Sadie had never really been that nice to him, and it was weird that she would volunteer to help. It almost felt like something was up with her, and her intentions weren't exactly clear. "Really?" Spiederman asked skeptically, wondering what the two had talked about upstairs.

Nodding with a apologetic look in her eyes, Jude replied, "Yeah." She didn't know what Speed wasn't taking her answer so easily, so she offered, "Let's go outside and talk." Jude also felt it was neceassay to head outside since she could see her friends watching her carefully from the couch area.

"Benedict Sadie…" Jamie muttered as Jude and Spiederman left, and Sadie approached them.

Sadie watch the two head outside, and was caught off guard by Jamie's words. She simply shook her head, a little hurt that he would say something like that when her intentions were good. "Don't, okay."

Kat sighed and slouched down into the couch. "So we're back to step one," she muttered.

Shaking her head, Sadie stated, "Not exactly…" She knew that her conversation with Jude left her sister confused. She might have apologized to Spiederman and was still lingering in his arms, but her heart and head were still elsewhere.

"She's right," Tommy stated with ease. "We're not on any step at all." He looked at all the confused faces that surrounded him, but didn't really care. All he knew was that it killed him to see Jude go off with Spiederman. It wasn't the way he wanted their story to end, but it seemed like he just couldn't win. Standing up, Tommy simply muttered, "I'm out."

Sadie took a step closer to the group, watching Tommy come closer to her, only to exit the party. "Tommy, no," she pleaded, knowing that she didn't even get her chance to give him some good news.

Tommy shook his head, finding it hard to look Sadie in the eye anymore. He continued past the couch, and started to brush past Sadie. And during that short moment that his body was next to hers, he quietly whispered, "You're the one that quit on me."

Feeling like such a traitor, Sadie glumly looked down at the ground. She was being put between her sister and her best friend. She was honestly trying to do the right thing and help both of them, but without any tricks or plans. "It's not like that," Sadie cooed as she followed Tommy out of the house.

They continued down the sidewalk, Tommy at a face pace. It was almost as if he was letting out a little bit of anger and sadness with each step he took. The faster he walked, and the harder he stomped, it was as if it made him feel better. And Sadie tried her best to keep up with him. She was nearly jogging after him until they were halfway down the block.

Stopping in his tracks, Tommy flashed around to face her. "You fixed things between them, Sadie!" he exclaimed. He shook his head at her and furrowed his brow. He could see that he had startled her with his sudden stopping and quick words, but he didn't really care at that moment. "How can you say you still have my back?" he inquired.

"I do!" Sadie yelled back, still trying to catch her breath.

"That's bull and we both know it!" Tommy shouted to her. He shook his head in disappointment and let his anger drop. He was hurting so much inside that he was taking it all out on Sadie. Yes, he was sad that she wasn't on his side anymore, but he was also reeling from Jude not being their either. "You can't play both sides, Sadie," he elaborated in a whisper.

Sadie shook her head at her friend. She knew that he had his point, but it didn't change that fact that she was trying to do something to help him. "Tommy!" she hollered, trying to get him to pay attention to her and not go off into one of his own rants. "For once, why don't you stop being a self-absorbed ass and listen to me."

Tommy gave Sadie a dirty glare. Sometimes he hated that she knew him that well to be able to say something like that. So he started, "I don't—"

"Need this?" Sadie finished for Tommy. She really did know him well enough to call him out on his ego, and finish his sentences. She also knew that winning Jude this way wasn't going to be the same as just plain winning her heart all over again.

Taking a deep breath, Tommy shook his head at the ground once more. He threw his hands up into the air in frustration, not really sure what else to say. It seemed like anything he'd throw at her, Sadie would have something else to say in return, and he just couldn't win against her. It was the most defeated feeling he's had in a long while. "Not from you," he finally admitted, realizing where his anger in their relationship came from. He just wanted his friend to support him instead of what it seemed like Sadie was doing.

Letting out a sigh, Sadie nodded. "Yeah, I know. You wanna know how I know?" Sadie let out a faint smile, staring into Tommy's eyes. She waited to see that faint, nervous nod that Tommy would give when he wanted to know facts, but was too brave to say it out loud. "I know because I know you," she stated. "I know that you want my sister, but you're not going at it the right way. Tommy, I thought your plan was genius and that everything was going to work…" Sadie shrugged and bit her bottom lip. She wanted to find the right words on how to explain why her decision to help shifted. She needed him to understand, "We can't play with people's feelings."

The words hit Tommy like a ton of bricks. He didn't even realize what he was doing until Sadie put it that way. In both a guilty and defensive manner, Tommy started, "I wasn't—"

"Yes you were! You are!" Sadie exclaimed as openly as possible. He needed to be called out on this one, and she was going to do it. She knew that he could see what he was doing, he just needed that extra push. "Almost the entire plan is messing with their heads until Jude comes running back to you."

Tommy huffed and threw his hands in the air once more. "What are you getting at, Sadie? What do you want?" He was so tired of all of it by this point, and he just wanted to be free of all of the emotions that were overpowering him. "Because I already quit—"

Sadie could see that he was getting frustrated, especially now that he could see the truth. "I don't want you to quit," she remarked quietly. "I want you to play fair and win."

Shaking his head, Tommy questioned, "And how am I going to do that?"

Giving Tommy a sweet smile, Sadie bobbed her head slightly. "Simple," she responded.

Seeing her sincerity and faith in her eyes, Tommy was taken. If there was one thing he learned about Sadie since all their time together, it was that she always meant well. Some things would get screwed up, and they'd call Sadie the scapegoat, but she just wanted everyone to be happy. The only thing Tommy doubted in the scenario was himself. Being somewhat of a non-believer, Tommy inquired, "What makes you so sure it'll work?"

With a shrug, Sadie raised her hand and pointed with one finger delicately to Tommy's chest. Her finger on his heart, she replied, "Because you love her."


End file.
